You're Not Alone
by Glory For Sleep
Summary: "This thing hunts on fear, Drew," I said, fists tightening as I swallowed hard. "If I'm scared of losing you, then does that mean it will find me?" - May/Drew and Harley/Soledad. Part 1 of the 'Cadence Of Their Fear' trilogy.
1. Revival

Hey peoples!

Well, it's finally here - the new and improved version of You're Not Alone, a CS story I started a long time ago, but wound up discontinuing for various reasons. Now, though, it's back and rewritten.

I originally wanted to write a separate fic for Halloween, but I decided that starting this project would be a better idea. Alongside being romance, it is also horror, so it fits, yes? :D

Anyway, though this story focuses on MayxDrew romance, it will also have some HarleyxSoledad.

With that all said, let's get started!

(Also, chapter designs may seem different than from what I normally do. I'm trying something different.)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

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**Chapter 1: Revival**

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To tell the truth, I didn't know what my exact reaction should have been.

Shock? Excitement?

…Nostalgia?

Maybe more than one. Maybe all three. Maybe something I didn't mention. I hadn't known at the moment, nor had I really cared enough to even define the emotion I was actually feeling. All I had cared about was the letter that was in my hands, my eyes scanning the font that lay in straight rows across it, obviously done by a professional who could perfect any writing style.

But that wasn't what had been important – not the font or how it had been organized on the letter – and it surely wasn't what had received a reaction from me that I had had no interest in defining.

It was what the professionally-organized/written font had been explaining:

_Dear Maybelle Maple,_

_Congratulations! You have been chosen by us to attend a Grand Festival of a lifetime! This Grand Festival's sole purpose is to unite the most famous coordinators of the world for a survival of the strongest!_

_Also, another purpose of this festival is to reunite old friends. Perhaps you have a friend you haven't seen since your young coordinating days? Worry no more, as you, most likely, are going to receive the chance of meeting not only him/her, but people you thought you would never see again!_

_The Grand Festival takes place in Enfer City. What is Enfer City, you ask? Well, it's a new place that contains a large arena and resort, which will house you and the other dozens of competitors while you compete in the Festival there._

_If you are willing to attend this Festival (we really hope you are – we're sure the whole world wants to see your coordinating skills at their best), then a bus – assigned to pick you up and anyone else who may come from your hometown – will be waiting on the last day of the month at exactly 8 AM at the main bus stop of your hometown. As implied, please consider that the bus has also been assigned to pick up other coordinators that are willing to attend the Festival along the way, so we hope you don't mind riding with a few more people._

_The bus will take you to Lilycove City. There, you will board a train that will take you to Enfer City. Mind you that escorts from all over the other regions are carrying competitors of this Grand Festival to this exact location, as it is the only train that has access to Enfer City; so it will probably be more crowded than your bus. Nonetheless, just follow the directions of the event's caretakers and stay with the crowd, and you'll reach Enfer City with no problem._

_Do not worry about packing anything else but your pokemon. We already have a large variety of clothes for your personal choosing once you settle into Enfer. Our city also bears shops and other forms of entertainment (including movie theaters and beautiful parks to take a stroll in) in case you have free time away from the competition. As soon as you reach Enfer City, a hotel room in the arena/resort center where the competition will take place will be assigned to you. Each room has a PC where you'll be able to exchange pokemon any time you wish, along with a pokemon center in the main loft if you need to heal your pokemon. This competition is planning to have a span of over a few months. This is because… well; there will be quite a lot of competitors, so we hope you don't get homesick easily._

_We really hope you are able to attend, as this competition is meant to bring contest champions together to battle with the skills they have gained to determine the true champion of pokemon coordinating. We would love to see your skills at it once again. _

_And, who knows? Maybe this competition will help you discover new things and open up bright opportunities…_

_See you there!_

_Sincerely,_

_Katherine Verdana – Host of the Enfer City Grand Festival Championships and Mayor of Enfer City._

"This is the bus, right? The one to Enfer City?" I asked, escaping the memory of the previous night when I had first received, opened, and read this letter.

The bus driver turned his coal-colored eyes away from the letter I was holding out to him and brought them to me, causing my muscles to tense. He didn't exactly look friendly with his ursaring-sized hands, large amounts of arm hair, and unshaved stubble that looked sharp enough to saw through steel; but I didn't say anything on his appearance, ignoring my urge to ask if his alternate career consisted of being a serial killer who tore his victims apart with bear claws. No – I said nothing on how he looked, because if this was the guy who was involved in taking me to this Enfer place, I preferred not to be on his bad side.

So, I stood still at the top of the three steps that led up into the bus, the door still open behind me. I could hear the rain of the weak storm that was attempting to dominate the skies above Petalburg slap the pavement around the bus stop outside, and I stifled myself before I hunched up my shoulders from the cold air that was rushing in. I mentally hurried the man to confirm my question and shut the door.

"Yes," the bus driver finally said, tightening his grip on the steering wheel, the bus's engine purring in submission and causing the floor to shiver, which I could feel through my boots. His voice was gruff, matching with his rough visage, and I swallowed hard.

"Right," I said. "Um. Thanks."

Quickly, yet composed enough to drive away any of the bus driver's suspicions (as well as urges to chase me down and eat me alive), I turned to face the rows of seats that filled the bus. Most of the seats were already filled, the coordinators that occupied them conversing with one another, entangling voices of various accents that were hard to distinguish. They were obviously chatting about the 'good old days', reminding me of the very reason why I had agreed with myself to attend this Grand Festival.

I stuffed the invitation letter in my pocket, making my way down the bus. I swore I recognized a couple of the faces I passed – faces of coordinators that had either beaten me or had been beaten by me in the past – but I didn't stop to 'catch up' with them. I just wanted to find a place to sit for right now, and I grunted in annoyance at the possibility that I was going to be forced to stand up and hold onto one of the overhead railings for the entire trip to Lilycove. However, fortunate for me, I noticed that the seat against the bus's back wall was completely free, and I made my way over to it.

I sat down against the window, turning my head to watch the rain fall down upon the city of Petalburg. I frowned, remembering what my mom had said when I had told her about the letter and the Grand Festival. She had insisted that I go. My father, who had been the gym leader of the local gym before my brother, Max, took over, also agreed that I should go. I had decided to go, evidently, but not for the reason of pleasing my parents.

I raised my eyes slightly, seeing a faint reflection of myself in the window's glass. The gaze of a twenty-six-year-old woman stared back at me.

I had decided to go because of the usual reasons – win another contest, add more appeal to my name and pokemon, and inspire young children who were hoping to become coordinators when they were old enough. It had been a few months before I had participated in a contest, though I had been doing so for the last sixteen years of my life. My pokemon – the companions I had had ever since the old days – had stuck by my side for this long, and I knew they always enjoyed performing in a contest.

Also…

I fingered the invitation letter in my pocket, then slowly pulling it out and smoothing it. As I was doing so, my thumb grazed over the paragraph that explained one of the purposes of this Festival, and I stopped to reread it:

_Also, another purpose of this festival is to reunite old friends. Perhaps you have a friend you haven't seen since your young coordinating days? Worry no more, as you, most likely, are going to receive the chance of meeting not only him/her, but people you thought you would never see again!_

I closed my eyes and sighed.

A friend I hadn't seen since my young coordinating days…

I had a few, actually, but there was one that stuck out from the rest.

I hadn't seen him in ten years, yet the face he had when he was young was fresh in my mind. It always stayed fresh; his countenance was hard to forget. And not just because he had a unique appearance, but also because he was one of the few people I knew in life that stuck out in general.

I slipped the letter back into my pocket. Ten years. Had it really been that long? The day he left…that memory was fresh, too. I hadn't forgotten it. I could never forget it. We had met when we were both ten. He was a coordinator trying to become the best. I was a coordinator trying to become the best. We became rivals, but as time went on we became friends as well.

For six years we stayed that way – friends who were still rivals, but yet always remembered which status was dominate when, at the end of the day, we would depart with smiles on our faces, just glad that we had run into each other again regardless of who had won the contest. However, shortly after I turned sixteen, we had competed in a Grand Festival. I had won, and even though he seemed happy for me the words he had said next were completely contradicting:

_"I'm leaving…"_

I had asked why and he had answered that he needed a break. I asked if he was just going on vacation, but then he said that it was a bit more complicated than that. I asked nothing more, not wanting to impose on any personal business, and had decided to take my own break. I returned to Petalburg to relax, but at the same time I waited for him to contact me to tell me what was really going on. When he never did…

Life had taken over after that. Helping my brother, helping around the house, and other daily issues had dragged me away from it all. Soon, the need to try to find out what had happened to him was lost in a pile of other things, and it wasn't until now before I finally had another chance to wonder about him.

To worry for him.

To _miss _him.

Maybe, I had thought, he would get his own invitation letter about this Grand Festival – maybe he would come and attend and I would meet him there, and I would be able to learn what had caused him to leave that day and never come back.

Maybe. Just maybe.

I put the letter back in my pocket, leaning back against the seat, having not realized that the bus had begun to move a few minutes ago. I watched as Petalburg passed by right outside my window, and I hoped everything would be okay while I was gone. Then again, everything had been okay when I had been gone before, so I didn't put much thought into the matter. I would call home once I reached Enfer, anyway-

"Hey! You're May Maple!"

I blinked, escaping my trance. I looked forward, noticing that a man was staring right back at me from behind the back of his own seat. Bangs hung limply over his face, the rest of his blonde hair just as messy, and if we weren't sitting on a bus designed to escort top coordinators, I would've assumed him to be a goofy college kid.

"Hi," I said, unable to think of anything else to say. When I was young and traveling, it was always interesting to run into an apparent fan. However, I couldn't quite place this man's face; it wasn't recognizable at all.

"Nice to finally meet such an amazing coordinator," the man said, his voice consisting of a noble accent that I hadn't noticed until now. He reached forward, and I shook his hand, noticing that multiple rings covered his fingers, various gemstones shining in their centers. Also, he wore a suit of some sort – a bluish suit that made him appear as if he was about to attend a fancy party.

He looked down, realizing what I had been staring at. He grinned sheepishly, pulling his hand back in. "Sorry. Elegant-looking stuff kind of runs in the family."

Ignoring that matter, I said with my own embarrassed look, "Have we met? You don't look familiar…"

The man chuckled. "Nah. We haven't. The name's Lionel, mate. Lionel Zaranous."

Hmm. Science-fiction-y.

"Well, you seem to know me," I said.

Lionel nodded. "I watched you a lot on the television when you were still traveling around. Of course I would know you." He grinned goofily, and I stifled my own chuckle.

"Nice to meet you, Lionel," I said, smiling. "Call me May."

"Sure thing, May," Lionel replied. It appeared as if he was about to say something else, but the bus coming to a halt interrupted him. He turned his head to look out the window.

I gazed past him and down the aisle. "We can't be at Lilycove yet…" I muttered, arching a brow.

"We're not," Lionel said, having heard me, still looking out the window. He sounded just as confused as I was. "I think we're picking up a new person."

I hummed in agreement, resting back against my seat. I knew that we weren't far from Petalburg, so perhaps the coordinator we were picking up was someone who was either traveling to or from the city. I didn't put much thought into it, though, also considering the possibility that the bus had stopped at the sign of a hitchhiker looking for a ride. Then again, if it was the latter, then I think the driver would probably pick them up for a traveling snack rather than aiding in getting them to wherever they needed to be.

Now, I _really_ hoped that it was the former part of my beginning statement…

I could hear the sound of the doors opening, the bus purring in obvious wait. The person outside walked up the steps and stopped in front of the bus driver. His clothes, consisting of a short-sleeve white-and-blue plaid buttoned shirt and long jeans on which the baggy ends covered over the backs of his black boots, were somewhat drenched from the rainy climate, and I had to wonder if he had even been expecting the wet weather. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper – his own invitation letter, I could tell, which was miraculously dry – and showed it to the driver, who nodded a few seconds later and pointed his thumb behind him – at the rows of seats the bus contained.

I arched a brow as the man slipped the letter back into his pocket. Was I the only one who was finding the bus driver's appearance incredibly creepy and intimidating? I couldn't really tell if the man was feeling the same way – a white cowboy-like hat that had been tilted to the side hid his face. I grunted to myself, shaking the thought away, watching in silence as the man turned to walk down the aisle.

My breathing stopped.

The man – appearing no older than I was – had revealed himself when he had turned, and the first thing I noticed was his hair.

Green. Chartreuse, to be exact.

Without realizing it, my fingers slowly began to clench. The man's expression was calm as he walked down the aisle, some of the coordinators he passed eyeing him from their seats. His hair was long enough in the back to reach right below the collar of his shirt, bangs helping his hat in obscuring his face, even forming a curtain-like formation on one side. A small tuft of green hair protruded from below his bottom lip and ended at the curve of his chin, and his eyes were glowing. And even from my position I could tell what their color was.

Emerald.

I was breathing again, but now my heart had sped up.

What I was seeing – who I was seeing – couldn't've possibly been what was but a few feet away from me, slowly approaching the back where I sat.

It couldn't be him. It could never him. How could it be him? Ten years. It had been ten years. Impossible. It wasn't him.

I sighed, tearing my gaze away from the man.

_It couldn't be you…_

"Is this seat taken?"

I paused, turning my eyes back around and looking up, swallowing hard when I met the gaze of the man I had just been staring at. He was looking down at me, his emerald eyes appearing reptilian, sending a shiver down my spine that made me question my denial. He didn't seem fazed by how I bit my bottom lip, keeping his eyes on me, yet not seeming to be able to recognize my identity – if he knew who I was.

"No."

I had spoken that word before I realized it, and I mentally cursed at myself afterwards. However, at the same time, I was thankful that I had spoken it without a sense of nervousness and disbelief. I turned my eyes to the floor.

"Thanks," I heard the man say, and I watched him as he sat down against the opposite window, resting back against the seat, adjusting his hat so that it no longer covered half of his face.

I slowly breathed out, wondering if he had done so purposely.

Then again, it couldn't be him. I closed my eyes with this thought, repeating it over and over in my head.

Ten years. Ten long years. He couldn't just show up in my life again after so long!

He couldn't!

…could he?

"Hey!" Lionel suddenly gasped, his head poking up from his seat. His azure eyes were fixated on the man sitting next to me. "You're…um…ooh! That's right! You're Drew Trandafir!"

I froze again, slowly looking at the chartreuse-haired man.

The man's gaze switched from the world outside his window to Lionel, appearing unfazed by the man's words, and his frown tightened.

"Just call me Drew."

I nearly fell back.

It was him.

It was him.

_It was him._

Andrew Trandafir – the coordinator I had first met when we were both ten. The coordinator I became friends with and stayed friends with for six years. The coordinator who left, leaving me behind in a void of bewilderment and hurt that would later separate us for ten long years, and only to throw us back together again in the very situation where I had hoped that such a thing would happen, but at the same time had thought that it never would.

The person I had missed so much.

Drew.

"Sorry," Lionel said, putting on another sheepish grin. "I know a few Drews…so…"

Drew waved his hand in a nonchalant manner, his tone matching it. "No big deal."

His voice. It was deep and smooth. He sounded so different than when he was a teenager, but at the same time I could recognize his voice no matter how many years it had been.

I wondered if I should say something – anything, and just to let Drew know that I was sitting right next to him and that I was still alive. That I could still pick out his face from a crowd even with the large amount of time we spent apart. But, I didn't know what I could say. 'Hey, Drew! Long time no see! Seen any good movies lately?' No. I couldn't just say hello and act like the last ten years hadn't happened. And not just because I had missed him…

But also because I was angry with him.

We had been friends for six years. Why hadn't he told me where he had been going? Why hadn't he told me why he hadn't kept in contact – why he seemed to have forgotten about me? If there was a reason, like a tragedy, then I understood, but the fact that we had been close enough where he would've told me such a thing made me doubt that that was the case.

What had happened to the Drew who cared? The Drew I knew?

I couldn't help but feel offended. Here he was, showing up after ten years of absence, sitting next to me in a casual manner as if nothing was wrong. Did he even recognize me? I had to wonder…

I muttered a curse under my breath, remaining silent afterwards as the bus continued to move. Lionel had retreated back to his seat after he – I presumed – talked to Drew for a few more minutes. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed their conversation, but I hadn't exactly been in the mood to introduce myself and join it.

Instead, I kept my gaze away from Drew, wondering what was destined to happen now. What would I do? What would he do?

What should be done?

"Do you honestly think I can't recognize you?"

I paused. Drew's words hung in the air, and when I realized that no one else was raising their heads in response to his question; I slowly turned my eyes to him.

He was looking at me, his gaze somewhat narrowed and shaded by his bangs. It was then when I realized that he had said those words at me. _To_ me.

All I could get out was: "Wha-what?"

Drew snorted. But then smirked. "Even if you were ninety, I would still know who you are, May."

I exhaled, my heart skipping a beat. However, my eyes only grew soft, my voice shaky with disbelief. And happiness. "Drew…"

At that, Drew's smirk turned into a smile. "It's been a while, rival."

Despite my anger towards him, the fact that I had missed him came up and overpowered it. I wanted nothing but to run into him and embrace him, but I held myself back, only smiling softly.

"Indeed it has."

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**To Be Continued**

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Ah, be careful what you wish for, eh? ;D

See you next chapter!


	2. In Waiting

Hey peoples!

Here's the next chapter! Thanks for all of the reviews; they're really encouraging! :D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

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**Chapter 2: In Waiting**

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"May, wake up!"

I jolted, my eyes flying open. The first thing I noticed was that something hard and cold was pressing against my cheek, and I slowly pulled my head away from it, groaning slightly at the fact that my neck was stiff. I rubbed it, turning my eyes to the side to realize that I had been leaning my head against the window of the bus, and I sighed at my stupidity of not falling asleep leaning against something more comfy.

"About time you woke up."

I blinked. It was the same voice that had coaxed me awake – a voice that was deep and smooth and made me turn my head the other way, meeting the gaze of Drew Trandafir and immediately noticing the look of annoyance that was on his face.

"Wha…what?" I said, unable to avoid sounding groggy. I was still trying to orient myself.

Drew rolled his eyes. "We're there."

"Where?"

"Lilycove." He smirked, amused. "It's nice to see that you're still as slow as ever, May."

I huffed, glaring at him, but before I could emit a response, a voice from down the aisle spoke up:

"Hey, mates! We gotta go!"

I turned my eyes, meeting the distant gaze of Lionel, who was standing at the top of the steps into the bus, the vehicle's door wide open behind him. It was then when I realized that the bus was practically empty – all of the coordinators that had once occupied it were no longer there, leaving Drew, Lionel, and I the only ones left.

I stood up, casting a glance out my window. I could see the ocean, its surface glistening in the sunlight, stretching to the horizon and leaving me smiling at its beauty. Remembering Lionel's words, though, I looked back at Drew, who had grabbed his hat from his seat and was already halfway down the aisle of the bus, Lionel departing once he was close to him. I followed, stopping by Drew when he halted his movement at the steps.

He looked at me, putting on his hat. "You sleep like a snorlax sometimes, you know that?"

"Ha ha," I muttered, moving past him and down the steps. When my face was out of his viewpoint, though, I smiled slightly myself.

I did sleep like that sometimes, after all. Even after all of these years, Drew still knew that.

I squinted as soon as the light of the early morning sun met my eyes, nearly obscuring the view of Lilycove City from me. It had taken a few days before the bus was able to reach Lilycove, and after what felt like being trapped in a rectangular, noisy prison for eternity, we had finally made it to our destination.

However, the journey hadn't been boring at all – Drew and I (with Lionel at times, too) had conversed the whole way, talking about what we had been doing over the last ten years, explaining what had transpired while we had been apart. Of course, the topic of why Drew had left in the first place had been avoided; every time I tried to bring it up, he would swiftly change the subject, and I would be left having to follow along while simultaneously wondering why he was doing such a thing.

Later, I then reminded myself. I would confront him about it later. Perhaps talking to him about it on a crowded bus wouldn't've been a good idea anyway.

"Where is everyone?" I asked Lionel.

He pointed forward at a crowd of people that were slowly moving forward ahead of us, being led by a man up front. I recognized them to be the coordinators we had ridden with, and the man in front of them to be the bus driver. We quickly caught up with them.

As we walked, I took no time to wonder where we were heading. Instead, I sailed my gaze around, admiring how the city of Lilycove looked. Skyscrapers, their windowed surfaces shining gold as the sun reflected off of them, reached up to the sky, towering over the apartment buildings and various businesses that filled the spaces between them. Pedestrians and their pokemon passed us, eyebrows rising once they realized who we all were – though they said nothing, staying out of our way out of respect. The bellow of a ship's horn broke through the barrier of sounds the city itself was making, reminding me of Lilycove's harbor, and the strong scent of seawater that lingered in the air.

"I haven't been here in a long time," I said.

"Neither of us have," Drew replied with a low tone, walking beside me. I looked at him, but said nothing.

Eventually, we were out of the parking lot where our bus sat, and were now standing in another lot of some sort, a large factory-like building towering over us. I looked up, producing a curious hum, and then noticed that the bus driver had stopped in front of a set of double doors that led into the structure. Keeping one hand on the door handle, he used his other hand to make a gesture, silently ordering us to back away a few feet. The group of coordinators, including us, shuffled backwards, heeding his command.

"What's that place?" I whispered.

"A building," I heard Drew answer, and I glared at him.

"Duh, Drew."

He chuckled slightly, smirking at me, and I couldn't stifle my own smile.

The bus driver grabbed what looked like an intercom from his belt and brought it to his mouth, speaking into it. I couldn't hear what he was saying; but, then again, I didn't think anyone else could, either.

A few seconds later, he reattached the intercom to his belt and stepped forward. "Alright," he called out, immediately ceasing the conversations that had been going on between the waiting coordinators, "it looks like we're a bit early. The other buses carrying the other coordinators haven't arrived yet, and we can't start boarding the train until everyone is here and accounted for. So," he added, narrowing his eyes, "we're gonna have to wait a little while."

Groans emitted from the coordinators.

"Stop complaining," the bus driver hissed, rolling his eyes. He put his hand back on the door's handle, almost as if he was protecting it.

I wasn't so much annoyed at the fact that we would have to stand here for Arceus-knows-how-long as much as I was annoyed at the fact that we all would have to spend Arceus-knows-how-long with this guy.

I sighed, just thankful that it wasn't too hot out.

"Weird place," Lionel suddenly said, convincing me to look at him. He had his chin cupped in a contemplative manner. "To put a train, I mean."

I looked back at the factory-like building, arching a brow. Lionel had a point – train stations usually didn't look like this. I turned my head the other way to ask for Drew's opinion – and only to drop my face at the fact that he was gone.

"Where'd Drew go?" I asked Lionel, who began looking around with me.

He then tapped my shoulder, pointing towards our parked bus. I looked in his direction, my eyebrows rising at the fact that Drew had isolated himself from the crowd. He was leaning against the outside of the bus, staring out into the ocean. I looked back at Lionel, who shrugged silently, and then slowly began to make my way towards my chartreuse-haired rival.

"Drew?" I said once I was close enough to him, my tone soft, yet curious.

He acknowledged me out of the corner of his eye. "Hmm?"

I leaned my own back against the bus only a few inches away from him. "What're you doing?" I asked.

"Thinking," he answered. "Trying to pass the time. We're going to be stuck here for a few hours, probably."

"Oh yeah…"

Silence hung between us. I slowly looked at him, admiring how different he looked. No longer did a teenager with big dreams stand beside me, as now a man with a bigger destiny had taken his place. We both had changed so much as time had gone on – or, at least physically. What was really going on inside of Drew's head was an enigma to me. Was the Drew I had known still in there? Was the teasing he had done earlier a sign that he was? I couldn't tell – because the Drew I had known would've told me if anything was wrong, and surely would've told me what had caused him to leave that day long ago and never come back for another ten years.

I sighed slowly, wondering if now was a good time to bring up the said subject – to finally ask what had happened. Now that we were alone, perhaps now was a good time. I opened my mouth to speak-

"I'm sorry."

I paused, my mouth still open – though the words that originally were supposed to come out of it did not: "What?"

Drew looked at me, his eyes deep, containing that sense of seriousness that could intimidate anything. It sent a shiver down my spine. "I'm sorry," he said again, his guilty tone causing his gaze to deepen even more.

"What for?" I asked, though I already had an idea.

"For leaving," he said. "All those years ago. For leaving you."

My heart skipped a beat. It was as if he had read my mind. I could feel my eyes water, and my voice barely went beyond a whisper. "Why, Drew? Why did you leave?"

He sighed, turning his gaze to the floor. "It's complicated."

"You said that in the first place."

"I didn't want to leave," he said, "but I had to."

I stepped forward. "But _why_, Drew?" I grabbed his arm, beginning to come closer, though I stopped when his eyes met mine. "_Why_ did you leave? Please tell me. I want to help you. I _can_ help you. But only if you'll let me."

Drew stared at me. I stared at him. Our eyes remained locked together, our faces close. I could feel his hot breath brush my lips, neither of us saying anything. For a second, his eyes grew guilty, and then soft, and then a myriad of emotions that left me wondering.

And then, he pulled away, forcing my hand off of his arm.

"Forget it," he said, sounding frustrated. "It's not important why I left – it's just the fact that I left. I told you that I was sorry, and that's it."

"Drew…" I whispered, but he kept his back to me.

I knew that the reason why he had left _was_ important. There was something that he wasn't telling me, but it would seem like he would rather cut off his own arm than admit the truth.

I sighed again.

We both remained silent. I kept my eyes on the ground, lost in my thoughts, wondering if I should say anything else.

"May?"

I looked up, watching as Drew shifted, turning around to face me. His eyes were still deep.

"May, I…"

He breathed in deeply, and then exhaled through his mouth, as if debating with himself on what he was going to say. He shook his head, and then met my gaze. His eyes brightened slightly, though something inside of me told me that it was forced.

"I think we should have a battle," he said.

I blinked. "A…battle?"

"Yeah." He smiled slightly. "Like in the good old days. We have time to spare, don't we?"

I stood there, staring at him, wondering why he had been trying to change the subject again. However, I also remembered the times ten years ago where our friendship was strong, and whenever I was depressed he would always try to find a way to cheer me up – either from a sarcastic remark that would make me so angry I would forget what I was sad about, or a simple request to remind me what truly mattered. My concern for his state had been evident across my face, and whether he had suggested having a battle for that very reason was what had me bewildered.

But also grateful.

Eventually, I told myself. Eventually I would find out why he had left. I had never forgotten about him, and he had never forgotten about me. Our friendship and rivalry were still strong, and eventually he would feel comfortable enough to tell me the truth. I suppose I would just have to give him time.

So, I slowly slipped my hand into my pocket, fingering the minimized pokeballs that contained my pokemon, remembering all of the times we had battled in the past.

"You're not scared that I'll beat you, are you?" Drew asked as he walked closer to me, his famous smirk present upon his lips.

I smirked back. "As long as you're not scared that I'll prove you wrong?"

Drew's eyebrows rose, but then lowered when he smirked again. He walked past me, heading towards the empty area in front of the bus that would serve as a good battlefield. I watched him, wondering how strong he had gotten over the years of his absence.

Nonetheless, I was determined to wipe that smirk off of his face, and I smiled at the thought.

_Just like old times._

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Yeah, this chapter was kind of short - but the next will be longer!

See you then!


	3. Smoke and Mirrors

Hey peoples!

Here's the next chapter! Something bad this way comes. D:

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Smoke and Mirrors**

* * *

"Glaceon, it's time to go!"

I tossed my pokeball forward, watching as it burst open in a white flash. On the makeshift battlefield in front of me, my glaceon materialized, stretching out her legs, then gazing forward at my opponent.

She froze.

I could practically feel the surprise that crossed her upon seeing Drew. Drew's pokemon had battled against Glaceon quite a few times in the past, and it was nice to see that even with the passing time my pokemon hadn't forgotten such a familiar face. I smiled softly as she jumped up happily; despite being somewhat aged, she was still a young pokemon at heart, and it was as obvious as daylight that she was holding herself back from dashing forward and cuddling up against Drew.

Drew, who was standing on the other side of the battlefield, smirked at Glaceon, bringing a hand up to tip his hat in a gesture of greeting. He said nothing, though, meeting my eyes afterwards, his smirk still present as he pulled a pokeball from his belt and tossed it forward. It burst open as soon as it reached the ground, another four-legged pokemon being released from its metallic confinement.

My eyebrows rose when I saw the crimson gaze of Absol, the powerful dark type firming himself immediately. However, as soon as he saw Glaceon and I, his serious expression fell, the edges of his mouth twitching upward slightly. I hadn't seen any of Drew's pokemon in quite a while, but yet as I stood there, watching as Absol and Glaceon smiled at one another, it felt like a blast from the past – that time had reversed ten years and Drew and I were facing one another in a contest arena, our pokemon carrying our determination to win like soldiers fighting for their country.

"Glaceon looks stronger than the last time I saw her," Drew said, his hat shading his face from the sunlight, giving him a mysterious look. His smirk reminded me of whom he was, though. "I see that you've been training."

"Of course," I replied, crossing my arms in front of me boldly. I cast another glance at Absol. "And I see you've been training Absol, too."

Absol snorted confidently, straightening his posture.

"Did you expect any different from me?" Drew asked, and I looked at him, my face falling slightly.

I hadn't seen or heard about Drew entering any contests over the last ten years, so I wasn't able to help the suspicion that Drew had taken a break from pokemon training in general when he had left. Now, however, the absol that stood strong and courageous in front of him was proving me wrong, and I couldn't've felt more honored.

A crowd had begun to gather around Drew and I. It hadn't taken long for the word of a battle between us to spread throughout the waves of waiting coordinators, and therefore they now stood waiting in evident suspense for the match to start. It reminded me of the old days, where Drew and I would listen and see the audience in a contest arena whisper things to one another and display grins of excitement, watching as we would walk out onto the arena battlefield, preparing to fight one another and steal the breaths of our viewers in the process.

The memory made me nostalgic.

Lionel soon made his way up front, having offered to serve as the judge for our match. He raised his hands, shouting out: "The battle between May Maple of Petalburg and Drew Trandafir of La'Rousse will begin…"

He paused, looking both ways, smiling in an amused manner as nearby coordinators glared at him for adding unwanted tension to the event.

"Okay, okay," he said, letting out a chuckle. "The battle will begin…now!"

I pointed forward as Glaceon gained a battle stance. "Glaceon, ice beam!"

Glaceon opened her mouth, firing out a beam of icy white straight towards Absol.

"Dodge it!" Drew ordered.

Absol growled, jumping up right as the ice beam would've struck him, landing to the side of it and immediately rushing forward as Drew then commanded. The scythe protruding from his head began to glow a purple color, and I gritted my teeth. Night slash. That move wasn't foreign to me, and I knew that it was deadly.

"Glaceon!" I said. "Use quick attack!"

Glaceon called her name, beginning to run forward, her hind legs being obscured by a stream of white as her speed quickened. She and Absol grew closer with each second, and I narrowed my eyes as I waited for the right moment…

_There_!

"Glaceon! Jump!"

Glaceon followed my command, jumping up right as Absol would've slashed his scythe against her. She landed behind him, going into a roll, where she quickly returned to her feet and turned around to face him.

"Ice beam!" I then yelled out.

Glaceon fired out another ice beam, on which Absol was struck against his back, the attack throwing him forward and causing him to smash into the ground.

I shot a look at Drew. His gaze was stern, his frown tightening. I shivered when he met my eyes.

But, at the same time, I couldn't help but smirk.

Eventually, Absol got up, facing Glaceon. He had a small limp, but I could tell that he was still fit for combat. He firmed himself, baring his fangs, convincing Glaceon to regain her battle stance. Our pokemon may have been friends off of the battlefield, but when they were on it, their connections held no relevancy.

"Double team!" Drew suddenly called out. "Surround Glaceon!"

My eyes widened as Absol approached Glaceon, multiple flickering copies of him then beginning to form, creating a circle around my pokemon. Glaceon sailed her gaze around, desperately trying to determine which one was the real absol.

"Ice shard!" I said, and Glaceon didn't hesitate to follow.

She began to fire multiple shards of ice all around her, every single absol copy they made contact with flickering out and revealing themselves to be fake. She swayed her head around, continuing to search for Absol.

When only three absol remained, Drew made his next move:

"Absol, jump!"

The absol in the middle of the three copies jumped, revealing himself to be the real one.

"Bite!" Drew called out.

Absol lunged forward from the air, landing in front of Glaceon with such speed that she stumbled back in shock, cutting off her own attack. That was when Absol threw himself forward, grabbing onto her tail with his teeth. I could tell that he was biting hard with the fact that Glaceon cried out, but that was only the beginning – as Absol then jumped up again at Drew's command, using his grip on Glaceon's tail to throw her up, swing her around once, and then slam her into the ground.

Smoke billowed from the crater Glaceon's impact had made, and my breath hitched itself in my throat.

Now, it was Drew's turn to smirk.

Glaceon soon got up, trembling. I could practically feel the soreness that was in her muscles, as well as her shortness of breath. At that moment, I wondered what I could do to turn this battle around; Glaceon had thrown a good hit at Absol with her ice beam, but the damage Absol had just done to her was just as high, if not higher. I bared my gritted teeth.

"Absol!" Drew yelled out, nearly making me jump. "Quick attack!"

Absol dashed forward, streams of white following him.

"Ice beam!" I countered, and Glaceon fired out an ice beam, aiming it wherever Absol moved.

However, Absol continued to dodge it by moving from side to side, even jumping up and over it when Glaceon fired it out like a wave. Before I knew it, he was mere inches away from Glaceon.

"There!" Drew said. "Night slash!"

Absol reared his head back as he continued to run with the power of a quick attack, his scythe glowing that familiar hue of purple. I opened my mouth to order Glaceon to dodge, but it was too late – Absol had lunged forward at that direct moment, slashing his scythe against Glaceon. She was thrown into the air from the force of the hit, twirling around a few times before she hit the ground, bouncing across it until she came to a skidding halt.

Silence covered the audience, as well as Drew and I. The smoke from Glaceon's impact began to clear, revealing her lying as an immobilized heap in a long ditch created by the force of Absol's attack. She twitched, opening her eyes slowly, shivering as she raised her head. She shot a look at Absol, who was standing firmly with a semi-sympathetic look on his face, and then at me, where she then laid her head back down and succumbed to her weakness.

"Glaceon is unable to battle!" Lionel called out. "Drew is the winner!"

The surrounding coordinators broke out into cheer, and I let out a sigh.

Absol came over to Glaceon, gently nuzzling his snout into her cheek, checking if she was all right. Her eyes reopened and she looked at him, smiling softly and nodding. He smirked superiorly at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"You've definitely become stronger," Drew said as he walked up to me. "You almost beat me."

I frowned at his smile. "I used to _always _almost beat you, remember? Actually…" I added, simpering. "Back in Johto, I beat you a majority of the times."

Drew's face fell, and I chuckled. He turned away, his eyes narrowing. "Yeah, yeah," he said, snorting. "Laugh all you want. The contest at Enfer will determine who truly is the strongest out of all of us."

I looked at him. Drew had always been dedicated to training – to getting stronger. It seemed that even with the time that had passed such a goal had yet to fade from him. I smiled, knowing that the frown on his face sometimes couldn't be helped.

"Come on, Drew," I said, coming closer to him. My arms slowly wrapped around him and I pulled him into an embrace, laying my head against his chest. His heartbeat sounded powerful, and I admired it. "You know I don't like it when you're sad…"

Drew was silent. I could hear him breathe – I could hear him live. I inhaled deeply, always having loved his scent. He smelled the same than he did all those years ago, too. My smile returned.

"Who said I was sad?" I then heard Drew say. He wasn't returning my hug, but he wasn't pushing me away either.

"The fact that you were pouting."

"I wasn't pouting!"

I chuckled. "Sure, Drew. Sure. But it's making me hug you, isn't it?"

An awkward silence fell upon Drew at that. I was tempted to pull away to see if anything was wrong, but I was interrupted from doing so when I felt Drew's arms wrap around me, pulling me closer.

"Yeah…" was all he said.

"I don't mean to break up this heartwarming moment," a voice suddenly muttered, convincing Drew and I to pull apart. All eyes turned to the bus driver, who had emerged from the crowd, his hands on his hips and his eyebrows furrowed. "But look at the mess you two made."

Drew and I looked at one another and then at the battlefield all around us. Indeed, chunks from the pavement were missing; other damages caused by the attacks of our Pokemon making the entire area seem like a construction zone.

I bit my lip. Oops.

The bus driver sighed. "I knew I should've said something 'bout battling here, but I guess you guys have to entertain yourselves somehow. Hell, it helps me from having to deal with ya." He snorted. "I'm gonna go find someone who can fix this. You guys stay here, and for the love of Arceus act your age _and_ _don't touch anything_."

With that, the bus driver left, disappearing down the street and leaving all of us alone.

I met Drew's gaze and we both shrugged. We returned Absol and Glaceon to their pokeballs, then looking out upon the other coordinators as they began to converse with one another.

I arched a brow when I caught sight of something interesting.

Past the crowd of coordinators, two lone ones – a man and a woman; brother and sister, or perhaps lovers or friends – were making their way to the door that led into the factory-like building. I shot a look at Drew, who had caught sight of the same thing I had, and gestured at the couple. He frowned, obviously not caring about what they were doing, but I couldn't help my own curiosity.

So, I departed from Drew and made my way towards the couple.

"Excuse me?" I said when I approached them. They both turned their heads, eyeing me bewilderedly. "What are you doing?"

The woman smiled, a devious look in her eyes. "Ever since we got here we've been curious to see what's in this building. Now that that grumpy bus driver is gone, we can finally see what's behind the door."

I looked back at the street the bus driver had gone down, and I produced a short hum. I had also been curious to see what the factory was hiding – whether it really was the train to Enfer, or something else – but had hid such urges because it appeared that the bus driver would've had my head if I had stepped an inch closer to the door than allowed.

"Do you want to see, too?" I heard the woman ask, and I brought my gaze back to her.

Once the bus driver learned some manners, I would learn to follow his orders.

I smiled and nodded.

I walked closer to the two coordinators. The man pushed open the door, and I immediately stuck my head inside.

The first thing I noticed was the air – it smelled of cement and lumber. Sunlight bled in through the few windows that covered the tall walls, but yet it was only enough to illuminate the area ever so lightly. Boxes of various sizes were spread out across the smooth, dusty flooring, and it really felt like I _was_ in a rundown factory building.

"Whoa! Would you look at that?"

I paused. The male coordinator's voice echoed across the building's hollow atmosphere, and I gazed in his direction. Sitting between the two platforms that made up the building's grounds was a long, futuristic train; its clean, white, and sleek surface not matching with the disorganized state of the factory. It sat on a track that led into what looked like a tunnel on one side of the building, what was inside of the tunnel hidden away by darkness.

I blinked, amazed at the fact that this building actually _was_ the proclaimed train station.

I opened my mouth to say something, but I was cut off by a voice:

_"Shut that damn door now_!"

I jumped in place, sailing my gaze around in immediate search of the person who had just screamed. My eyes widened when I caught sight of a young man rushing towards us from one of the far ends of the building, his skin as pale as moonlight and a horrified look on his face. I was about to ask what was wrong, but another voice cut me off.

But, this time, the voice hadn't sounded human.

Slowly, I followed the pale man's eyes, looking up towards the ceiling. The growl that had cut me off had come from that direction.

A pair of pure red eyes stared down at me from the ceiling, oversized fangs flashing in the room's faint light. They appeared to be floating, their owner's body hidden away by darkness. It stayed there, keeping its gaze on me, sending a shiver down my spine as it continued to growl, sounding more vicious than anything I had ever heard.

Then, it lunged forward.

I watched in horror as the eyes grew closer with speed, clacking sounds signifying that the owner was practically sailing down the wall with claws sharp enough to impale its surface. The growl became a roar, and before I knew it I was thrown backwards as a bluish blur rushed past me, causing me to land on the ground outside and back into the light of the sun. The conversations that had been transpiring between the coordinators suddenly ceased, gasps now emitting from the crowd.

I hoisted myself up, immediately looking where the blur had headed.

My jaw nearly dropped at what I saw.

Standing in the middle of the crowd, hissing at anyone who came close to it, wasn't a pokemon I had seen before. It was the size of an average teenager – a bipedal bat-like creature that had bluish-and-black-colored fur, a long tail that swished from side to side, large ears that twitched in response to the actions all around it, and oversized fangs that prevented it from closing its mouth entirely. Its red eyes lacked both a pupil and an iris, both its feet and hands having large claws, giving the beast a monstrous semblance. The membrane between its arms and body was thick and covered in veins.

The coordinators all around began to back away as it hissed at them, baring its fangs, claws outstretched. It hunched its back slightly, letting out another roar.

I fumbled for the pokedex in my pocket – a device I had had ever since the start of my journey as a coordinator. I had kept it in case I ever needed reference on a pokemon, and this case couldn't've been any better of a situation. I flipped open the pokedex, pointing it at the bat-like pokemon, waiting for the results.

Eventually, the pokedex flashed, and the picture and information of a golbat came up.

"A golbat?" I muttered, looking back at the creature. The creature looked far from a golbat.

Suddenly, the pokedex flashed again, its screen blinking as if it was going through some sort of glitch – as if it was confused. Then, the picture and information of a luxray came up.

At that, my face fell. First, a golbat, and then a luxray? Was something wrong with my pokedex? It didn't look like any of these two pokemon! In fact, it looked like it was…

…a mixture of them.

_How was such a thing possible_?

The ears of the bat-like pokemon twitched. Slowly, it turned around, its eyes focusing on me. I could hear my heartbeat as it stared at me, nearly dropping my pokedex because of it. There was hunger in its eyes. There was bloodlust. There was something that I had never seen in a pokemon before – something monstrous, something demonic, something far from pokemon.

It roared, getting down on all fours.

And then, it dashed towards me.

I could only watch as it grew closer and closer, snarling. My muscles tensed; I couldn't move. My heartbeat grew louder, and everything outside became mute. All that existed was the monster and I, and I could hear the scrapes of its claws against the pavement as it came towards me with the intent to kill. It was as if I was staring Death in the face, and it was preventing me from doing anything.

When it was close enough, the monster leaped, lunging towards me-

"_Roserade_! _Magical leaf_!"

I breathed out once a familiar voice broke through the silence. As the monster headed towards me from midair, it turned its head – and was then met in the face with sharp, glowing leaves. It reared back from the hit, flying towards the side, slamming into the wall of another building that was not far from the lot. It roared out in pain.

I looked in the direction the attack had come from. A roserade I knew very well was standing prepared in front of her owner.

"Drew…" I said.

Drew looked at me with worry in his eyes. He then looked back at the monster, his brows furrowing. "Roserade," he said. "Standby."

The monster got up, limping. It whimpered, but then glared at Drew, baring its fangs again.

However, instead of attacking, it turned around, impaling its claws into the side of the building it had hit. It began to climb up its surface, using its claws as support, until it reached the top. There, it flapped its wings, taking off into the sky and, soon, disappearing beneath the towering tops of the city's skyscrapers.

I stared in the direction the monster had disappeared in, somewhat expecting it to come back. Such thoughts were pushed away from my mind, though, when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, helping me to my feet.

I looked behind me, meeting Drew's gaze.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his arms still around me.

"Y-yeah," I said, not sounding too confident. He seemed to sense this, as his frown tightened.

"What the hell was that thing?" he then said, looking towards the skyscrapers it had disappeared behind.

I reached down, grabbing my pokedex, which I had dropped when the beast had begun to come towards me.

The information of a luxray was still displayed on its screen.

* * *

As soon as everything had settled down after the strange…'pokemon'…attack, the coordinators had grown jumpy, conversations about what it possibly had been being the only topic they were talking about. I was also frightened by the incident, but mostly confused. I was still wondering what it was – why the information of both a luxray and a golbat came up when I scanned it, and also what it had been doing in the factory building that contained the train to Enfer.

I was relieved to know that the man and woman who had seen the inside of the factory with me had come out of it with no scars, and I was thankful towards Drew for stopping the creature before it could do something to me. I hated the fact that I had been motionless at the instant of its attack, but at the moment I was trying to convince myself that it was understandable towards why I had been so scared.

…right?

I didn't know, nor did I really care.

Soon, the pale man I had seen in the factory earlier – the one who had warned us to get out – emerged from the door into the factory. All eyes immediately turned to him – including mine – and he jumped at the sudden gain of attention. His skin was still pale, his brown-colored hair scruffy under stress and fright, and I had to wonder if he was just as confused and stunned as I was with the whole situation.

"Listen, everyone…" he began. He paused, as if trying to think of something assuring to say.

"What just happened?" a coordinator suddenly asked, coming forward.

The man met his eyes. "I…I don't know. I was in there, checking to see if the train to Enfer was working, when the pokemon just appeared and attacked."

I arched a brow, watching as another coordinator came forward.

"But _what_ was it?" she said. "It didn't look like any pokemon I've ever seen…"

The man reached into his pocket, pulling out his own pokedex. "It was a golbat. I checked."

Voices, all tangled together, began to emit from the crowd. Most of them were saying that the pokemon looked nothing like a golbat. I had to agree; if anything, it looked only half golbat.

"People, please!" the man said, raising his hands. "I scanned my pokedex thoroughly when I first saw the pokemon. The results came up as a golbat! See?"

He raised his pokedex. On it was the information of a golbat.

I looked down, opening up my own pokedex. The information of a luxray was still on it. I frowned.

I contemplated on saying something, but his next words halted me from doing so:

"This pokedex is brand new," he said. "If it said that it was a golbat, then I highly doubt that it would be anything else. People, we must remain calm. A rare incident, that's all it was. Surely, there have been cases where golbat have been born deformed. This was probably what has happened here. So, please, don't panic, and let's move on."

My pokedex _was_ old, I then told myself. But, then again, it had been working fine a few days ago. Besides, I had also heard about pokemon being born deformed, but something _that_ deformed? That was nearly impossible!

The crowd of coordinators seemed to calm down, though, deciding to drop the subject – definitely with how the pokemon was gone. I sighed, closing my pokedex and slipping it back into my pocket.

"I honestly believe that that wasn't a golbat…"

I blinked, turning. Drew walked up to my side.

"You don't?" I asked.

"Do you?" he said.

I remained silent, staring at the ground.

"I…" I said. "I…I don't know…"

And perhaps that was why I had been so scared.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

-runs around screaming-


	4. Arrival

Hey peoples!

Here's the next chapter! :D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Arrival**

* * *

Within the hour, the other coordinators finally arrived.

At least a dozen buses soon pulled into the lot where the rest of us were waiting, lining up next to the one we had ridden, coming from various directions but all basically ending up at the same spot. As soon as their doors opened, people started coming out, flooding into the lot and increasing the size of our group by quite a lot. I nearly felt claustrophobic – and that was despite the fact that we were standing outside.

I turned my head, eyeing the driver of my bus. He had come back not too long ago, not saying anything on whether he had found someone to fix the pavement. Instead, he simply had taken his position in front of the door of the factory, standing in the exact same manner he had been before. With the way he was posed, I couldn't help but imagine him being a guardian of some sort – a monstrous demon who watched over a pile of treasure, or perhaps an entire village he had taken prisoner. I chuckled at the thought; he definitely looked the part with how he had his hand protectively on the door's handle, narrowed eyes never blinking.

However, as I thought of the word 'demon', I also thought of the golbat/luxray pokemon that had attacked me earlier. Those bloodthirsty eyes still haunted me, reminding me of horrors I never knew existed until then. Was it really just a deformed golbat as the pale caretaker had said? Was my pokedex really just old and confused? I didn't know, and despite that everyone had dropped the subject, I was still pondering it.

I leaned back against the wall of the factory-like train station, having isolated myself from the crowd. I wasn't far from the door, but I made sure to keep enough space so I wouldn't provoke the bus driver to turn monstrous on me, too. It hadn't taken long for the coordinators I had been grouped with to start up conversations with the ones that had just arrived – whether it was family members reuniting, or friends sharing a quick hello and their surprise at the fact that they had been invited as well.

I frowned, wondering if anyone was mentioning the incident with the golbat/luxray pokemon.

My thoughts were cut off, though, when I saw the pale caretaker from before emerge from the door into the factory, the bus driver stepping aside, his face firm. The caretaker looked just as serious, though his scrawny appearance somewhat threw off such an impression – he and the bus driver looked like complete opposites. The caretaker cleared his throat loudly, convincing some of the coordinators in the front of the group to cease their chatting, on which they then motioned for the people behind them to do the same. Soon, the entire crowd had settled down.

"Well," the caretaker began, "it seems that everyone has made it safe and sound. It has probably been a rough trip for some of you, but I ensure you that it won't be long before you'll have a nice bed to nap in." He smiled. "After all, now that you're all here, we can finally board the train and head on to Enfer!"

Cheers emitted from the crowd.

The caretaker laughed. "That's the spirit! Anyway, we'll begin boarding in a few minutes. Get ready!"

With that, he disappeared behind the door into the factory, leaving the various conversations he had paused between the coordinators to continue.

Meanwhile, I remained silent.

"You seem to be contemplating about something."

I blinked, the deep and smooth voice that had spoken those words causing me to swallow. I looked forward, watching as Drew walked up to my side, his arms crossed over his chest. He had taken his hat off, his hair shinier in the sunlight because of it, his bangs moving slightly in the passing breezes. It looked so soft. I felt an urge to flick a bang away from his eyes – like he used to do when he was younger – but I held myself back.

"Maybe," I said, turning my gaze back to the factory's door.

Drew's voice grew serious. "You're thinking about that pokemon, aren't you?"

I looked at him. "So what if I am? Drew, it almost…" I sighed. "It almost did something to me. Whatever it was…whatever it wanted to do to me exactly…I've never seen something like that in a pokemon before. It was monstrous…"

"I know…" Drew muttered, leaning right next to me against the wall, the side of his arm touching mine. "It…frightened me, too."

I blinked. And smirked. I couldn't help but find humor in the moment. "_What_? The Great Drew? _Scared_? Blasphemy!"

Drew rolled his eyes. "Hardy har har." He met my eyes, his features becoming stern again. "I'd never seen anything like it, either. And, as I said before, I honestly don't think it was just a 'deformed golbat'."

"Ah…" I said. "Whatever it was, you handled it pretty well, though. I don't see why you would feel scared."

"I was afraid it was going to hurt you, May."

I pulled back at that, almost forgetting to breathe. He was staring at me now, his eyes soft, yet carrying that reptilian hue that sent shivers down my spine. So gentle, yet so fierce. I had always admired that quality about him. "I, uh…" I mumbled. I shook my head, escaping that previous thought. "I-I don't think that it was a golbat also. But if it wasn't that, then what was it?"

Drew tightened his frown. "Your pokedex said it was a luxray, right?"

"Yeah…right after it said it was a golbat."

"That doesn't make much sense."

I clicked my tongue. "That's what I thought. I don't think my pokedex is old enough to have glitches, too. But…"

"But?"

"But how would such a thing be possible, then?"

Drew looked at the ground, his eyes becoming distant with thought. "Maybe it's just one of those 'mysteries of life'. A rare occurrence, like the caretaker said. A rare pokemon – like a cryptid."

"A cryptid?" I repeated, eyeing him. Some pokemon were so rare that they were sometimes considered cryptids. The legendaries were a few examples. "Maybe…"

"Perhaps we should just forget about it. It's gone now – there's no sense in wondering over something we'll probably never see again." Drew smirked. "Besides, we have a contest to worry about. You can't let yourself get distracted; otherwise, I might have an easy victory here."

I opened my mouth to retort, but eventually closed it when I couldn't think of any comebacks. I would probably never know what was really behind the whole thing with the golbat/luxray pokemon, and Drew was right – I would be wasting time if I continued to wonder about it endlessly; a dead end case I'd never solve. I had too many other things to focus on, anyway.

"You're right…" I slowly said.

"Good," Drew replied, walking forward, ending it at that. I glanced at his expression as he disappeared into the crowd, though, and I frowned at what I saw.

Contemplation.

Despite our agreement, he hadn't entirely dropped the case either.

* * *

It wasn't long before the caretaker came back out to call us in. When he did so, we all lined up in front of the door, slowly entering the factory-like train station – where ninety-nine-percent of the group then gawked at the futuristic train that was inside. I only blinked, having seen the vehicle before, and therefore wasn't as amazed by it as everyone else was. The caretaker turned on the overhead lights, illuminating the area so much that I squinted a little, but yet not enough to reveal what was inside the tunnel the train tracks led into. At his command, we then split into groups, lining up separately at the doors belonging to the train's various cars, where there appeared to be more than enough to fit all of us.

Luckily, Drew and I had managed to get into the line that was entering the front cart of the train, its curved beginning adding to its sleek appeal. Lionel was somewhere a few cars down – I had only caught a glimpse of him when the crowd had split up. The caretaker was standing in front of a large console not far from the train, buttons and knobs of various colors covering its surface. I wondered if he remembered which one was which – but he seemed to with the fact that, with a push of one button, the doors to the train's cars opened simultaneously, letting us all in.

The inside of the front car matched with its outside – sleek and clean, white-colored walls appearing brand new. The navy blue flooring consisted of a carpet-like texture, and the seats were covered with a similar material. I took the seat by the door, Drew sitting down next to me. We eyed one another, and then the seatbelts that were attached to each seat. I had never been in a train where seatbelts were required, but nonetheless I followed safety precautions and fastened mine, Drew doing the same.

Eventually, everyone was seated, and shortly after that the voice of the caretaker spoke through an intercom hanging in the corner: "Welcome, coordinators, to the Enfer Express! This is one of the few transportation methods to Enfer City. We would like to inform you to hold on tight during the ride, as it can get a little bumpy. The ride shouldn't take long, as Enfer City is not too far from Lilycove, but feel free to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride until you get there."

I turned my eyes to Drew, brow arched. "What does he mean 'Enfer has few transportation methods'?"

"Beats me," Drew said, shrugging. "It probably doesn't have an airport or harbor built yet."

Yeah, that was probably it, I thought.

Suddenly, I felt myself lurch forward, and I knew that the train had begun to move. Soon, the room seemed to grow darker, and I could tell it was because we had entered the tunnel. I couldn't see what was within it or beyond it, though, because some sort of tinted shield covered the front window of the train. However, there were small windows on the wall behind us, and once the room lit up again I turned my head to look out of one.

We were outside, but we weren't passing trees or hills or anything that would be seen on land. Instead, water surrounded the train, matching with the color of the clear skies above. I could see Lilycove's harbor and the large ships that were docked at it slide out of sight, the water that surrounded us stretching to the horizon.

My eyes widened.

We were sailing on the ocean!

Somehow, the tracks to the train had been built right below the surface of the water; I looked down and I saw the water shifting and churning as the wheels of the train moved through it.

"Wow…" I said. I looked at Drew. "Do you think Enfer's on an island or something?"

Drew blinked, just as surprised as I was. "Maybe."

I hummed thoughtfully, settling myself back into my seat. I closed my eyes, enjoying the soothing sounds of the shifting water, as well as how the train was softly rumbling with its movement.

It was quite relaxing, actually.

"Hold on tight," I heard the caretaker repeat over the intercom, causing my eyes to open with bewilderment. "Here we go!"

And I gasped when I suddenly felt my stomach drop, all of my weight leaving me.

Cries emitted from the other coordinators, and Drew groaned beside me. It felt like the train had fallen off of its track – that we were on a rollercoaster and we had finally reached the peak of the ride, now free-falling down its slope with such velocity that we were being pushed towards the ceiling. The soothing tune of shifting water had been replaced by a roaring sound, and I forced my head to turn so I could see out the window and try to determine what was going on.

Everything outside of the window was a blur – a bluish blur of a dark hue that seemed to take all of the light out of the room. I could see bubbles press against the window, then sliding out of sight before I could blink. And despite that we were going fast enough where everything was distorted, it didn't take much for me to realize what had happened.

We were going underwater! The _train_ was going underwater!

I lurched forward again, and everything seemed to straighten. My weight came back to me, gravity retaking its control over us, and I could tell that the train had finally reached the ground. The roaring sound dissipated, and its speed slowed down to a comfortable pace.

As the other coordinators finally breathed out, I looked out the window again.

The train was still on its track, but now we were traveling through some sort of tube. Beyond the transparent surface of the tube, I saw the dark-colored seafloor, the blue blurriness of the deep ocean depths covering over everything else, rendering most of what I should've been able to see hidden. It all appeared barren, though a few sea-dwelling Pokemon passed the train every few seconds, their curious, glowing eyes watching us.

My jaw dropped slightly – this was all so amazing!

I looked at Drew, who was just as shocked as I was. I couldn't tell if he was amazed, though. The other coordinators were. Their excited, yet confused voices soon filled the car.

The noises of shifting gears then blocked out their words, however. We all turned our eyes to the front window, in which the tinted shield that had been covering it was slowly rising, finally revealing what was in front of the car. The first thing I saw was the tube the train was traveling down, a large hill coming up. The depths from behind the hill seemed to be illuminated by something, and I arched a brow, wondering what was causing it.

When we passed over the hill, my jaw dropped all the way.

A few miles away, a futuristic city thrived, its lights being the source of the depths' illumination. A large dome covered over the city and its various sections, evidently preventing any of the water outside of it from getting in, and with the way its structures were designed and how bright its lights were, the whole city was like a beacon on the ocean floor, shining a gold color that made the town seem alive.

The caretaker's voice returned over the intercom:

"Welcome to Enfer City!"

* * *

The train tracks ran all the way to Enfer's dome, where it entered a separate tunnel that took it to the city's train station. It was there where the train stopped and the caretaker informed us that we could unbuckle our belts and get out of our seats. We did so, lining up in front of the door, which then opened, revealing a jungle of flashing press. I squinted, nearly blinded by the exploding cameras of news reporters, though I managed to stumble my way out the door and onto the tiled flooring of the train station. The flashing lights seemed to move to the side, forming a clear aisle at my leisure, and I took that time to try to peer over them. Coordinators from the train's other cars were also getting off, becoming surrounded by news people like we were.

I looked behind me. Drew was only a few inches away from me, appearing annoyed at the endless amounts of cameras that were attempting to snap pictures of his first reactions to Enfer. I couldn't blame him – even people who enjoyed the spotlight would've grown frustrated with how nosy these people were being.

I continued forward, moving through the aisle, trying to avoid getting hit in the face with the microphones the reporters were shoving in our directions. I grinned sheepishly at them – at least I could give them that – and I quickened my pace, soon stepping out of the aisle…

…and almost right into a woman that appeared to be in either her late thirties or early forties. Long, somewhat curled brunette-colored hair reached down past her shoulders, her matching eyes covered by square-shaped glasses. Tall and thin, her posture straight, she was quite beautiful, her other features smooth and well appearing for her age. She wore a white lab coat that reached her knees, her arms crossed neatly in front of her. It was evident that she was some sort of scientist, and I was thankful to finally be meeting a resident of Enfer that wasn't a nosy reporter.

"Ah," she said, her voice deep, yet friendly, "you must be…Maybelle Maple?"

"Yes," I said, trying to sound polite. It was hard with the flashing press behind me, though.

The woman seemed to notice this, as she then gazed past me, furrowing her brows at the various presses that were smothering us. She cleared her throat. "These coordinators have come here to attend the Grand Festival!" she called out, her voice echoing throughout the station. "Not to pose for pictures and answer endless amounts of questions! Please, make room for our guests!"

As if the woman was in charge, the reporters reluctantly put down their cameras, allowing all of us to gather together and form a group. Drew was right next to me, and I spotted Lionel waving at me happily from the back.

Turning back around to face the woman, I said, "It seems the people around here like to follow your orders."

The woman chuckled. "Of course. I am the mayor of this city, after all."

I blinked, and a coordinator to the side of me stepped forward. "_You're_ Katherine Verdana?" he asked.

"Yes. Yes I am," the woman said, smiling softly. "And I would like to welcome you all to Enfer City. Everyone here has been awaiting your arrival, and everyone here has been awaiting the start of the Grand Festival." She turned. "Now, please, follow me."

We were right behind her as we walked up the steps that led out of the station. We soon emerged into a vast, city-like area, the dome that covered the town reaching up for what looked like dozens of miles; the tall skyscrapers and business buildings that attempted to touch it were far from doing so. Despite that we were miles underwater, the entire city seemed to be lit up – and not just from the lights of the buildings – but naturally, as if something similar to sunlight was emanating from the dome itself. The air smelled faintly of seawater when I had expected that the scent was going to be much stronger, and it wasn't as nearly as humid as I thought it was going to be.

In a nutshell: it was almost as if the entire city of Slateport had been plunged underwater.

"I would like you all to see one of my greatest creations!" Verdana said.

The coordinators all around me gasped. I couldn't help but do the same. Verdana…she _made_ this place?

"The main purpose of the dome is to keep the ocean out, obviously," Verdana explained. "But it also has other purposes. It serves as a sort of light source, too. You see, when it's daylight on the surface, the dome will give off light, acting as the city's own sun – so the people who live here will still feel like they're living on land. When it's nighttime, the dome will darken.

"The dome also serves as a sort of filter. Various tubes and pipes connect the city to the surface. These tubes and pipes run underground so they won't get in the way of the city's inhabitants. They bring in oxygen and clean out the air; so, in case there're things like a fire, smoke won't build up in the dome."

"Does the city get its energy from the surface, too?" a nearby coordinator asked.

"Somewhat," Verdana said. "The city is powered by a large reactor that is located underground a mile or two beneath the tubes and pipes I previously mentioned. The reactor provides all of the energy Enfer needs to thrive. I mean, with the various trains that lead back up to the surface, this city is also easily stocked with supplies and goods."

Verdana began to lead us down the street, pointing out various stores and attractions to us – including parks that I couldn't believe were all natural.

"What inspired you to make this place?" I asked.

"A new way of living," Verdana answered. "The pokemon world has easily conquered some of its own obstacles, building cities where cities shouldn't be able to be built. I wanted to add on to such dedication, and, thus, I designed and helped construct Enfer – a modern city built within the depths of the ocean. Then, I invited people to live here – to test it out with me, and so far it has worked greatly. Soon, we'll have cities in the sky and on other planets. Think of the possibilities! They're endless!"

"That's why you set up a Grand Festival here?" I then said. "To test more ways of daily living in this sort of place?"

Verdana smiled. "Exactly!"

I grinned. It was all so fascinating!

"So," I added, chuckling in amusement at the thought, "we're like your test subjects, in a way?"

Verdana looked at me, smiling, and she laughed as well. "You could say that."

* * *

It wasn't long before we boarded more buses, which took us to a large contest hall towards the center of the city. Its arena was one of the largest ones I had ever seen, and hotel buildings surrounded the hall on each side, proving that we were indeed going to be staying right next to where the Grand Festival took place. The buses dropped us off at the hall's elegant entrance, where Verdana led us in and showed us the rooms that were inside. They were large as well; I had to tilt my head all of the way up to see their ceilings.

"Well, here we are," Verdana said, stopping our group in the middle of the red, carpeted flooring. "This is the lobby. This is where competitors of the Grand Festival will wait during the Festival for their turn to go." She turned, pointing to a large set of double-doors. "Those are the doors that lead out into the arena. When you're called forth in the Festival to do your appeal or battle an opponent, you'll walk through those doors." She pointed to the two hallways that sat opposite each other on both sides of the room. "Those are the hallways that lead to your staying rooms. They also lead to the hall's main pokemon center and computer room for healing and exchanging Pokemon. If you need to buy items, there are a large variety of stores in the city that should sell what you need.

"Now, you all must be tired from your trip, so feel free to depart for your staying rooms. Just go down the hallways until you find the door with your last name on it. When you do, slide your coordinator's license through the key slider on the handle and it should let you in.

"I will notify you on when the Grand Festival starts later. But, until then, I will give you some time to get used to your new surroundings."

With that, Verdana gestured to the hallways, and we followed her command. I walked down the hallway I had entered, admiring the professionally crafted statues that sat between tables of oak wood lined up along the walls, beautiful paintings adding to their appeal. I passed coordinators who had found their designated doors, fumbling with their wallets to find their licenses. I eventually found the door that had my name engraved on it and I slid my license through its reader, which then flashed green. I turned the handle to go in – but not before smiling at the fact that Drew's room was right down the hall from mine, and Lionel's was right across.

The room I was staying in appeared similar to a hotel room one would see in a resort at Celadon – expensive furniture, a large TV, and a king-sized bed that I had all to myself. I walked forward, ready to collapse onto it; however, a knock at my door stopped me from doing so.

I turned, meeting Lionel's azure gaze. He smiled softly and said, "Professor Verdana just said that there's going to be a reunion party tonight in one of the building's auditoriums. You coming?"

"Of course," I said, smiling back.

Lionel nodded and departed, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Sighing, I fell forward and onto the soft sheets of my bed.

I was going to have a lot to do in this breathtaking, surreal city.

But, until then, it was time for a nap.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

The next chapter is on its way. Until then, Happy Halloween, everyone! ^w^


	5. Where Did You Go

Hey peoples!

Here's the next chapter! Yeah, I know, fast updates. Whee. :D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Where Did You Go**

* * *

The auditorium where the reunion party was taking place was dark, neon lights flashing in the various corners of the room and making the entire area seem like a sort of nightclub. It had taken me a while to find this place within the contest hall, but when I arrived the first thing I noticed was how crowded it was; much of the coordinators here, if not all of them, were obviously interested in attempting to reunite with the rivals or friends they weren't able to before. The air was filled with their voices, as well as with the party music that was playing at a low volume in the background.

I arched a brow, wondering if I would recognize anyone here. So far, the people I'd been catching a glimpse of as I walked along one of the walls of the room weren't people whose names immediately came back to me. I kept my gaze ahead, not even bothering to look any more; if someone wanted to say hello to me, then I would let them make the first move.

My eyebrows rose when I caught sight of Drew leaning against the wall not far ahead. His eyes were narrowed as he gazed upon the crowd, arms crossed over his chest, and he didn't seem interested in alerting anyone he possibly battled in the past that he was still alive, either.

I made my way over to him.

"See anyone familiar?" I asked, smiling sheepishly.

He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. "Not really."

My smile faded, and I let out a relieved sigh. "Good. I'm not alone. I recognized a few coordinators when we were riding on the bus, but now I'm surrounded by people I haven't even met." I paused. "Or…maybe I have met them and I just can't remember."

"Well," Drew said, "then I guess we just came for the snacks."

I looked out over the crowd of people. "I guess so…"

"Oh my Arceus! It's actually you!"

I froze. I looked at Drew, who appeared just as startled as I was, and then I began looking around for the source of the voice that had just spoken.

From the crowd suddenly emerged a man, his eyes bright and a large grin on his face. He appeared to be in his thirties, dark hair ending at the nape of his neck, a short-boxed-style beard consisting of the same color. He switched his eyes between Drew and I – and it almost looked like he was about to…squeal?

"May! Drew!" he said. "Wow, talk about a good call! But, then again, _of course_ you guys would be here! Like you'd miss out on a reunion Grand Festival with all of the time we've been apart! Silly me to doubt you both-"

"Uh…" Drew spoke, cutting off the man's words, which had begun to evidently annoy him. "Do we know you?"

I looked back at the man, also wondering who he was.

The man's face slowly fell, the corner of his mouth twitching. "You…" he mumbled. "You don't…recognize me?"

A pause.

And then:

"Blasphemy! _Madness_! I can't believe you don't recognize me!"

The man snarled, turning his back to us and continuing his rant:

"After all of the stuff we went through together – after all those times I helped you guys out – you can't even remember my name? I'm appalled! I'm flabbergasted! I'm offended! I'm determined to get a thesaurus to help me think up of more words to explain how angry I am!"

As the man continued to go on, Drew and I shared a confused glance. I looked back at the man, but as I listened closer to the sound of his voice, identifying the actual color of his hair and examining how he was acting, it suddenly hit me.

And I spoke the only conclusion that came to my mind:

"Har…ley?"

The man suddenly stopped. He turned around, staring at me as if I was from another planet – and I suddenly felt regret.

That is, until he grinned.

"Took you long enough, May," he said.

Needless to say, I couldn't hold myself back.

"Harley!"

I pounced on him, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face into his chest. Harley Davidson, another blast from my past – another one of those friends I hadn't seen in ten years! I pulled back, meeting his eyes, which consisted of a metallic green color that was his and only his. My grin widened.

"It's just-!" I shook my head. "I can't believe it's you!" I grabbed his shoulders and turned him around. "_You cut your hair_!"

Indeed he had. The long hair he had had when he was twenty-one was no longer there; it ended at the nape of his neck now, giving him a masculine appearance I never thought a person like him could have.

"And you have a beard!" I said, turning him back around so I could stare at his jaw.

Harley chuckled. "I thought it was time for a change. When I turned thirty, I went for a new look."

"You look so different!"

"As do you, darling."

I met his eyes again. He sounded different, too, but in the middle of this non-girly voice was that same effeminate tone I was so used to hearing ten years ago. I glanced at his clothes; they weren't designed to match a Pokemon like his old ones were – they were just…normal.

I looked back at Drew, whose eyes were slightly widened. I chuckled at his surprise.

"I knew you'd find them, Harley," another voice then said – a female one. We all looked forward, where a woman came out of the crowd, her long hair a mixture of pink and red.

I grinned again. Her face was easily recognizable.

"Soledad!"

I rushed forward, wrapping my arms around her. She stumbled back a little, but regained her balance, patting me on the back with a soft smile on her face.

"It's nice to see you, too, May," she said. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

I looked up at her. Her greenish-blue eyes hadn't changed, and even with the small signs of age she had gained in our time apart, she was still as beautiful as ever.

I pulled back, now looking at Drew, whose eyes had grown deep as they gazed at Soledad. I smiled, gesturing for him to come over, in which he slowly did.

Soledad turned her eyes to Drew, her brows rising slightly. "Drew…?" she said. "Is that you?"

Drew came closer. "Yeah, it's me."

A myriad of emotions crossed Soledad's face – shock, happiness, and, finally, pride. She walked up to him, her hand slowly coming up, her fingers brushing his cheek. "Look…" she said, her voice soft. "The last time I saw you, you were…" She shook her head, sniffing as she smiled. "My little Drew's all grown up…"

Drew gently grabbed her hand as it came down, on which he then smiled as well. "But he's still here."

At that, Soledad embraced him, and I smiled. Back when Drew was a teenager, he and Soledad had always held a relationship one would see between a mother and her son, and even with the fact that they had been apart for so many years, such a relationship still remained true.

Even with the fact that we had _all _been apart for so many years, we were still a family.

Time hadn't been able to change that.

* * *

"So," Harley asked, leaning back in his chair. "What's been going on between you two?"

I looked at Drew, who was next to me. We were all sitting at one of the tables that were spread out throughout the room, having isolated ourselves from the crowd so we could talk without interruptions.

"Not much," Drew said, crossing one leg over the other like a professional businessman would. "Breathing. Eating. Sleeping. Training. Pretty much all of the stuff I was doing when we were still together."

I frowned, knowing that that wasn't all of it, but I said nothing on the matter. Instead, I looked at Harley. "Kind of the same, I guess," I muttered, shrugging.

Harley leaned forward at that, resting his chin on his palm. His eyes switched between Drew and I – as if he was suspicious; as if we weren't telling the truth. "Really now?" he said, sounding incredulous. "That's it? _That's_ all you've been doing? You haven't dated at all or shared any physical contact of romantic proportions?"

Soledad glared at him. "Harley!"

"_What_?" Harley met her eyes. "It's been ten years and these two want me to believe that all of that sexual tension that had been between them, which was about as evident as a hammer to the head, hasn't been satisfied at all?"

Soledad rolled her eyes. "That's still not something you bring up right after you run into old friends again!"

As Harley and Soledad continued to bicker, I ran my hand down my face. Harley had teased Drew and I about our 'undying love' for one another so many times in the past I was still unaffected by it. I shot a look at Drew, who also didn't seem fazed – though I did notice that he had tightened his frown.

"What about you two?" I then said, looking back at Harley and Soledad. "What has life been like for the famous Harley Davidson and Soledad Sierra over the last ten years?"

Harley and Soledad stopped bickering at that. They looked at one another, and then turned away. Harley chuckled nervously, and Soledad's face turned…red?

"It's not Soledad…'Sierra'…anymore," she slowly said.

I blinked. I heard Drew shift in movement next to me.

"It's more like…" Harley began, clearing his throat. "Soledad…Davidson…now."

Silence.

And then I grinned, taking that time to realize that there were wedding bands on their ring fingers. "Really? You two…you both…?"

"Yup!" Harley said, scooting over to Soledad and nuzzling his nose affectionately into her cheek. His voice grew soft. "We're a pair. Have been for a few years now."

Soledad turned her head to him and kissed him lightly on the lips, and I heard Drew grunt - on which such a thing was inevitable. He had never been close to Harley, mainly because of all of the pranks Harley had pulled on me when we were younger; and even with how Harley and I had made a truce during our Johto journeys, Drew still didn't like the man – and evidently much less the idea of him being with Soledad.

I chuckled. When Drew became close to someone, he practically became his or her guardian. Another quality I admired about him.

"Welcome again, everyone!" a voice then said, and I turned to see Professor Verdana make her way to the stage that sat in the front of the auditorium, speaking into a microphone so that she gained everyone's attentions. "I just want to say that it's great that you all decided to come – and not just to this reunion party, but to the Grand Festival itself; to Enfer in general. The entire city has been anxiously waiting for an exciting event, and we all pretty much agreed that you could definitely count on coordinators to put on a breathtaking show!

"The Grand Festival will be starting in a few days. I hope you've all enjoyed seeing one another again!"

At that, Harley raised his fist. "Aye!"

Soledad chuckled, joining in. "Aye!"

"Aye!" I added, and we all looked at Drew.

Drew rolled his eyes, but followed nonetheless: "Aye."

And it wasn't long before the rest of the coordinators in the room all said their own "Ayes!"

Verdana laughed. "Excellent! Enjoy the rest of the party, everyone!"

And as she set down the microphone, everyone seemed to do just that.

* * *

An hour later, Drew, Harley, Soledad, and I walked out of the contest hall, emerging outside and into the dome. The sounds of a bustling city were still present despite the fact that the darkening of the dome's surface signified that it was nighttime, and it reminded me of the tiredness I still felt.

"Well," Harley said, stretching. "It's getting late. Or…" He shrugged, grinning. "I assume it's getting late. I guess we should all head back now."

"I suppose we'll see you both tomorrow?" Soledad asked as we walked to the end of the walkway leading up to the contest hall's entrance, the rest of Enfer stretching out beyond it.

"Of course," I said, smiling, though I then arched a brow. "Wait, aren't you staying here at the resort?"

Harley shook his head. "Nope. Soledad and I thought we'd be unique and try one of the hotels in the northern district of town. It's a pretty fancy place."

"Ah." I walked closer to Harley. "It was great to see you two again."

"Ditto, May!" Harley grinned, pulling me into an embrace, in which I laughed and returned it. "Sweet dreams, hon."

And with that, he parted from me, Soledad waving goodbye to Drew and I as she and Harley then made their way down the street, soon disappearing behind a building and leaving Drew and I by ourselves.

"Wow," I said, walking by Drew's side as we began to make our way back towards the contest hall, "I never thought I'd see them again – definitely with the fact that it's been ten years."

"Expect the unexpected," was all Drew said.

I looked at him, my voice lowering. "And I never thought I'd see you here, either."

Drew stopped at that, meeting my eyes.

"But I wanted to see you," I then added. "I wanted to see Harley. I wanted to see Soledad. I wanted to see all of us together again. Like we used to be." I smiled. "It's nice to see that we are."

Drew swallowed, now turning his eyes away from mine.

My face slowly fell, and I walked closer to him. "Drew?" I said. He was lost in thought again – I could tell – and all I could wonder about was what he was possibly thinking. "Drew? I'm glad you came. I really am."

"I'm glad you came, too," Drew replied, looking back at me, his voice soft.

As I stared into his eyes, I wanted nothing but to ask him why he had left ten years ago, but I knew that he would probably avoid answering again. I sighed, tearing my gaze away from his, bringing it to the ground.

"Remember?" was all I said. "Remember when we used to tell each other when we were bothered by something? We would tell each other all the time, and, that way, we would always find a way to cheer one another up…"

I heard Drew sigh, and I knew that he was aware of where I was getting.

"Just…" I looked up at him. "Just don't forget, okay? I haven't forgotten."

Before I could say anything else, the door into the contest hall opened, convincing me to look in that direction and see Verdana walk out. I looked back at Drew, and my face fell at the fact that he was halfway across the walkway now, walking right past Verdana and disappearing behind the door into the contest hall.

I frowned, deciding that Drew still needed time to tell me why he had left. Thus, I didn't go after him, instead turning my attention to Verdana.

I thought of how she was a scientist. And then, I thought of the golbat/luxray pokemon that had attacked me back in Lilycove. If anyone knew anything about such a strange occurrence, it would be a person like her.

"Excuse me?" I called out, walking towards her. "Professor Verdana?"

She blinked, turning her eyes to me. "May? What are you doing out here?"

"I was just catching up with some old friends," I answered. "Um, anyway, can I ask you a question?"

She shrugged. "Shoot."

"Is there…" I firmed myself, hoping that she wouldn't think I was crazy. "Is there a possibility of…fusion-like pokemon?"

"'Fusion-like pokemon'?" she repeated, arching a brow, appearing as confused as anyone would when asked about such a subject.

"Yeah…" I said. "Like…a pokemon that contains the characteristics of both a golbat and a luxray?"

Verdana continued to blink, and I gritted my teeth. She was probably already calling me crazy inside of her head. "Well…" she slowly said. "Most things in the universe are possible. I wouldn't be surprised if 'fusion-like pokemon' are possible. Why do you ask?"

I didn't want to bring attention to a subject that would give her a nightmare, so I just replied with: "My brother…I talked to him recently and it's something he was curious about and wanted me to ask you since you're a scientist and all."

"Ah," Verdana said. "Understandable." She put a finger to her chin. "I can't really say whether fusion-like pokemon are actually possible. It would most likely depend on the fact if they can really be made or not and _how_ they would be made."

"What's the most likely way?"

"Well." Verdana hummed. "It sounds like something an organization like Team Rocket would create. It seems like a strange enough experiment they would be willing to try out."

I had to agree with that. Did an organization like Team Rocket really have something to do with the golbat/luxray pokemon that had been taking refuge in the train station? I couldn't help but wonder…

"Thanks," I said, smiling. "I'd be sure to pass on the info to my brother."

"Glad I could help," Verdana replied. "I better be heading back to my office, though. It's best if you get some rest, May."

I nodded and waved goodbye, then making my way into the contest hall and towards my staying room in the hotel area. When I came close to my door, however, I noticed that there was something taped to its front.

A rose.

It was still fresh, its petals damp beneath my fingertips. I gently brought it up to my nose, inhaling its scent. It was then when I noticed that there was a small piece of paper slipped between two of its petals. I took it out and examined it.

And as I read the four words that were written on it, I smiled, gazing down the hall – at Drew's door.

'_I haven't forgotten, either.'_

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Hehe. xD

Next chap coming soon!


	6. Confronting the Enemy

Hey peoples!

Sorry for the wait. I had Writer's Block, but thanks to watching Pokemon episodes with May and Drew in them - as well as "First Time" by Lifehouse - I got the inspiration to finish this chapter.

Anyway, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Confronting the Enemy**

* * *

Days passed – some quickly, some slowly, and some in between.

Apart from taking some time to explore the city of Enfer, train my pokemon, and reminisce with my old rivals, nothing that would be considered eventful happened. In fact, everything had been quiet, and my inability to take my mind off of Drew and the possible reasons why he had left ten years ago was what made it all annoying.

It was his fault, too; he was the one who had started the mystery in the first place – with his sudden departure and vow of silence that would last ten years – but for some reason my anger wasn't lingering. It would go away – become forgotten - as if it didn't want to overpower the feeling that I was just so relieved to see him again.

As if _I _didn't want to overpower the feeling that I was just so relieved to see him again.

I wanted to be mad at him – I should've been mad at him – and I wanted to stay mad at him; I didn't want to let him off the hook just because he showed up again - just because he _came back_.

But…why was doing such a thing so hard?

I growled, frustrated, my hand clenching and nails digging into the soft material of one of my pillows. I was laying on my bed, having woken up not too long ago to the sound of the ring of the telephone that was on the nightstand beside me. I answered it, and a female voice that didn't sound like anyone I had talked to before informed me that all coordinators were to make their way down into the lobby in preparation for the Grand Festival.

My eyebrows rose; Professor Verdana had told us yesterday that the Grand Festival would be starting on this day, and I sighed at the fact that I had forgotten in the midst of pondering on everything else. Nonetheless, I got myself out of bed, got dressed, packed up my pokemon, and emerged into the hallway outside my door, where I then had to press myself against the wall in order to avoid getting pushed around by the other dozens of coordinators that were attempting to make it to the lobby at the same time. I looked around, hoping to spot Lionel or…

"Crowded, huh?" Drew said as he emerged from the crowd, making his way over to my side. He seemed annoyed and surprised simultaneously.

"Tell me about it," I muttered, though I then grinned. "It reminds me of the Festivals we used to attend."

He looked at me, his eyes deep, but he said nothing.

It wasn't long before we emerged into the contest hall's lobby, grouping together with coordinators from the opposite hotel area. Now, there was more than enough room for all of us, and we took that time to split up and spread out, giving ourselves extra space. The hollow air was soon filled with the conversing voices of fellow coordinators, but I remained silent as I followed Drew away from the crowd and towards the empty side of the room.

I looked at him when we stopped, frowning at what I saw. His eyes were distant now; he was thinking about something. I wanted to ask what, though I had an idea. Guilt was evident across his face, but, at the same time, there were other things – other emotions that I couldn't define. Drew had always been good at obscuring his feelings behind a spartanic veil that was nearly impossible to penetrate. In the past, it had even been hard for me at times to convince him to tell me what was bothering him.

"May! Drew!"

Before I could say anything, a familiar voice had grabbed both of our attentions, directing them towards the entrance into the lobby.

Harley was practically a blur, rushing over to us with such speed that betrayed the energy one would normally have at his age. Two arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a large hug. I squirmed; trying to breathe, though Harley didn't seem to notice my lack of oxygen as he grinned widely at me.

"May!" he squealed. "Don't you look beautiful this fine morning?"

"A little _too_ early in the morning, if you ask me," I managed to get out. I heaved. "Gah, Harley, you're choking me."

At that, Harley let go, stepping back and allowing me to inhale sharply. He smiled sheepishly. "Whoops. Sorry, dear!"

I raised a hand, signaling that it was okay. I didn't mind the idea of hugging Harley - it was the fact that he had evidently gained some muscle since ten years had passed. His arms weren't as thin as they were when he was twenty-one, though such a thing didn't sway him from his usual idiosyncrasies.

"Hey, May, Drew," Soledad said, having followed Harley through the door into the hall. She gave me a quick hug – a softer one that, thankfully, didn't squeeze the life out of me – and walked over to Drew, giving him one as well. She then turned around, scanning her eyes over the coordinators in front of us, brows rising. "Wow, big crowd."

Harley stepped forward. "It just comes to prove how coordinating is superior to _all_ other pokemon-related careers!"

Soledad rolled her eyes. "Harley, you're a dork."

Harley grinned, walking over to Soledad. "Aw, Sol, you know you love me anyway." He smirked. "And you know I'm right."

"He does have a point," Drew added, and I looked at him. He smirked at me, and I smiled, amused, just glad that the thoughts he had been thinking about hadn't consumed him entirely.

Our conversation was interrupted, though, when Professor Verdana's voice emitted from the various intercoms that were spread out across the ceiling. Her words filled the air, silencing everyone else:

"Welcome, coordinators! The time has come – the start of the Enfer City Grand Festival has finally begun! Our audience is in the midst of seating themselves, so we have a few spare seconds." She chuckled. "Anyway, with that, let me explain the rules.

"This Festival will run as any other Festival would, though some things may seem different. We have an appeal round that will determine who deserves to move on, and then a battle round for those who did. You're allowed to use two pokemon in each round, on which in the battle round you're allowed to switch between teams of pokemon. I mean, it's not very often where Enfer's population will be able to see the stunning show this will most likely be, so it would probably be best to add as much variety as we can.

"Coordinators, get ready! Choose your pokemon for the appeal round, and when your name is called walk through the doors into the arena and show your skills! Good luck to all of you!"

With that, the intercom shut off, and the coordinators exploded with cheer.

I looked at Drew, smiling. "You ready for this?"

He met my eyes. His smirk was back. "Aren't I always?"

At that, Verdana called the name of the first coordinator that was to perform.

Me.

I swallowed hard and walked forward, fingering the pokeballs that were in my pocket. I looked at Soledad as I passed her, who nodded, and then at Harley, who mouthed the words "Kick some ass, May." I chuckled, looking at Drew.

His smirk was gone. He was smiling now.

I smiled as well, and-

Wait, wasn't I supposed to be mad at him?

* * *

The arena was a lot larger than I thought it was going to be. There was more than one level of seating; in fact, levels were stacked on top of one another, climbing the cylindrical stadium to – nearly – the very top. I felt overwhelmed as I looked up; Enfer citizens who were excited to see me perform, their voices jumbling together and echoing off the walls, filled every seat. All eyes were on me, and for the first time in a long time I felt a slight sense of nervousness. Out of all of the Grand Festivals I had attended, this was by far the biggest.

I walked across the battlefield, the lights of the overhead spotlights focused on me. The ground rumbled with the cheers of the audience, and I gazed up again to see Verdana standing on a balcony that looked over the battlefield, speaking into a microphone and telling the people all around me who I was and where I came from. However, with the fact that she had to practically scream in order for any of them to hear her, I assumed that these people already knew who I was – and were very much fond of me.

I smiled and waved at them, wondering if anyone on the top level could even see me. I probably looked like a speck to them, though they didn't seem to care.

After Verdana was done introducing me, she introduced the three judges that were going to judge the competitors of the competition. They were judges I hadn't heard of before; new ones that were perhaps beginning their careers in Enfer.

I didn't think much of it, however, as after that was done, Verdana called out the okay to go.

With memories of the past flashing through my head, I threw two Pokeballs forward, releasing my blaziken and my blastoise.

Blaziken gazed around at the surrounding audience. Her eyes widened, and it was evident that she was just as shocked as I was on how many people there were.

Meanwhile, Blastoise was the exact opposite; he smirked at how much attention he was getting – at how the cheers of the audience had increased upon his release – and he flexed, eyes glowing with superiority.

I pointed my finger, sending them forward.

Blaziken and Blastoise worked together as well as they had before in previous contests, combining their attacks at my command and putting on a stunning show that left the audience speechless - with their mouths wide open. Blaziken used flamethrower while Blastoise used hydro pump, mixing water and fire together to fill the area with steam, where Blaziken then allowed flames to envelope both of her legs in the form of blaze kick. She ran around, the flames trailing behind her and acting as a beacon amidst a deep fog that wouldn't fade, and after a while Blastoise seemed to appear out of nowhere as he emerged from the steam and used one final hydro pump on Blaziken. Blaziken jumped up, firing out another flamethrower, and the attacks collided to create a puff of steam that rose up like a mushroom cloud, filling the entire arena.

At that, my appeal was done, and when the steam subsided it revealed the judges, Verdana, and the audience.

The audience burst into cheer almost immediately, whereas Verdana stood frozen in place, blinking with her mouth slightly ajar, and the judges were just as speechless.

I couldn't help but smirk.

"That was…" Verdana spoke into her microphone. "That was…amazing! Wasn't it, everyone?"

The audience grew louder in response.

Verdana laughed, pointing at the three judges that sat at their stand not far from the battlefield. "What do you all think?"

"Amazing!" one said, parroting the audience that surrounded us with his large grin and breathless state.

"A professional way of mixing rivaling types," another one said – a female who seemed calm when compared to the one who had just spoken. However, I could tell that she was still trying to catch her own breath. "Excellent work. No wonder Professor Verdana invited you to this."

The third judge was a man who seemed that he would've been laidback, not really becoming surprised about anything. But, I evidently had made an impression on him; he was standing up, inspiration flashing in his eyes. "Now _that's_ coordinating!" he exclaimed.

"May," Verdana said, "you can return to the lobby now. Good work and I hope the judges consider you for the next round!"

I nodded, smiling, and turned around to head back towards the lobby, Blaziken and Blastoise following right behind me. I shot a quick glance at Verdana before I walked through the doors, chuckling at how excited she seemed to be, completely contradicting the calm and 'civilized' visage scientists like her would've went out of their way to maintain.

Job well done, I thought.

When I emerged back into the lobby, Harley was the first one to come to me – to no surprise.

"That was amazing, hon!" he said. "Even after all these years, you still haven't lost it!"

"Did you expect her to?" Soledad asked as she came up, wrapping an arm around me and giving me a congratulatory hug.

Harley faltered. "Of course not, Sol! How could I? Only an idiot would doubt her!"

I arched a brow. "You used to doubt me back when you-"

"Well, no one ever said that I was the sharpest tool in the shed back then," Harley said, interrupting me with a huff.

"No, you weren't…" Soledad said.

"…shaddup!"

As Harley turned around, crossing his arms and snorting, Soledad chuckled. She walked up to his side, kissing him on the cheek, which caused his anger to fade. He smiled at her.

I shook my head, amused, before turning around to meet a familiar azure gaze.

"Good job, mate," Lionel said. "This Festival's just started and you already got the judges begging to see more."

"I'm sure I'm not the only one who'll do that," I replied, smiling at him.

He grinned, patting me on the shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.

"Hey, May?"

I turned my head, meeting Drew's eyes. "Drew?"

He smirked. "It's nice to see you in action again. With it being so long and all…"

"What?" I asked, arching a brow teasingly. "Did you doubt me?"

"No. Who would?"

"If this was back when we were ten, then Harley probably would."

"Well, Harley's an idiot."

I laughed at that, simultaneously hoping that the said purple-haired man hadn't heard that.

* * *

It wasn't long before the next coordinator was called out on stage – Lionel. He pulled through on a beautiful appeal with his armaldo and metagross, stunning the audience and judges as much as I had.

When he was done, it was Drew's turn.

As I watched Drew perform with his roserade and flygon, I frowned as nostalgia for the past came back to me. I leaned against the wall; the doors open so coordinators in the lobby could watch the appeal of anyone who was out on the field. Drew's appeal was as graceful as they had been ten years ago, consisting of clever combinations that left the air glistening in the light pouring down from the ceiling windows, convincing everyone who was watching not to blink so they wouldn't miss a second of the professional performance. Evidently, Drew hadn't lost his talent in the years we had been apart.

My eyes grew soft.

If only he would tell me what was wrong. If only he would tell me why he had left. If only I could help him with whatever anguish that was plaguing him. But I couldn't, because I didn't know what it was, and I wanted to know. I _needed_ to know. I didn't want to see him like this – growing distant with a problem that I could possibly fix only if he would tell me what it was.

Eventually, Drew's appeal was over, and he emerged back into the lobby with the cheers of the audience seeming to follow him. People surrounded him, telling him that he had done an amazing job, and after they cleared out I came forward to share my own opinion.

"I see that you haven't gotten rusty," I said.

He smirked. "If you could do it, I could."

I blinked, but then smiled, holding out my hand. "Well, then I guess we're rivals once again."

He looked at my hand, and then at my face. "I guess we are…" he said, putting his hand in mine. We shook like professionals at work, but yet afterwards our hands remained together.

I looked down. His skin…it was soft beneath my fingertips. I gazed back up at his face, and I noticed that there was that sense of contemplation in his eyes – along with those emotions that I hadn't been able to define before. I still couldn't, and I slowly exhaled.

"We need to talk."

Those words came out before I could stop them, though I was glad that I had said them.

Drew's face slightly dropped at that. "About what?" he asked, though through his low tone I could tell that he already knew.

"About why you left," I said, my frown firm. "About everything."

Drew's eyes flashed, but they then dimmed. He looked down at our hands, which were still locked together, and then met my eyes again.

He sighed.

"Tonight," he said. "I'll keep my door unlocked."

I pulled back at that, wondering what he meant, but before I could ask he had walked past me, disappearing into the crowd.

* * *

After a few more coordinators performed their appeals, Verdana announced that the appeal round would continue tomorrow, as there were too many other coordinators who still needed to perform. It would probably take a few days before the appeal round could be finished, but I didn't mind being patient, and I said goodnight to Harley, Soledad, and Lionel when it was time for us to take our separate ways for the night.

I had returned to my room, lying on my bed, wondering where Drew had gone. I hadn't seen him since he had left after his appeal session.

_Tonight. I'll keep my door unlocked._

Those words resurfaced in my mind. Now I wondered what he had meant by them.

I got up, walking out my door and emerging into the hall. It was empty, the lights still on, but yet all of the coordinators that resided in this part of the contest hall resort were either sleeping or doing something else in the confinement of their rooms.

Wait…

I frowned in thought and began walking down the hall. When I came across Drew's door, I stopped in front of it.

Maybe…

I reached forward, grabbing the door handle. And turned.

It clicked open.

His door was unlocked.

Finally understanding what he had meant, I carefully slipped through the door.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Next chap coming soon!


	7. To Search for Solid Ground

Hey peoples!

Here's the next chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 7: To Search for Solid Ground**

* * *

Darkness covered most of Drew's room, though I could still see everything from the fact that the light in the bathroom was on, the door ajar to where it brightened the area. The design of the room was similar to mine - even the view of Enfer through the window mirrored my own – but I didn't think much of it as I turned my head from side to side, looking for Drew. I took my hand off of the door I had just come in from and walked forward.

"Drew?"

My voice was low as I called for him. I headed towards the bathroom first, taking a quick peek inside, but he wasn't in there.

I pulled back, arching a brow. With his earlier words about leaving his door unlocked tonight, it made sense for me to assume that he had wanted me to visit him-

"Hey."

I paused, turning around towards the source of the voice, and I blinked when I saw Drew coming towards me.

"Where were you?" was the first thing I asked. Surely he hadn't appeared out of thin air – unless he had magical powers he had neglected to tell me about ever since we first met.

Drew frowned, pointing his thumb behind him. I looked past him, seeing the doorway that led into a small kitchen-like area. My room had one of those as well. I smiled sheepishly.

"Uh, I didn't think of looking there."

"Right…" he said, sounding incredulous.

Silence overtook us after that, the topic fading away into irrelevancy. His eyes were focused on mine; the fact that they were deep signified that he was thinking about something – the same something he had been thinking about ever since we reunited on the bus heading to Lilycove. I stared back – into his eyes – and I almost forgot to breathe.

Eventually, I did, and I tore my gaze away from his. "So," I then said, "why did you want me to come here?"

Drew grunted. "Isn't that obvious, May?"

I had been carrying an idea of why he had wanted me to visit him, but I didn't want to automatically assume anything in case my theory wasn't what he had actually been intending to do.

"You mean…?" I slowly said, bringing my eyes back to his face.

Drew sighed. He stepped away from me and towards the window, his back facing me.

"Remember?" he said, his tone quiet. "Remember who we were back when we were young? Kids? Teenagers?" He looked at me. "_Rivals_?"

I smiled a little. "Of course. We're still rivals, aren't we? Just a little older."

Drew looked back at the window, and I swore I heard him chuckle. "You were always so…full of life, May. Always willing to help people, and treating your pokemon as if they were your own family."

"You were the same," I said. I paused. "Well, if you took away the snobby, pretty-boy thing."

"You were a coordinator trying to get your name on the map," Drew continued. "So was I. Now, we both have our names on the map, and it just reminds me of how much time has passed since we first met on that beach in Slateport."

That memory was clear in my mind – as if the events in it had happened yesterday.

"It also reminds me of how much time we spent together," Drew said. "As well as how much time we spent apart." He looked at me again. His tone…it was sad now. "I…I regret leaving you that day, and…I'm sorry, May."

I stepped forward. "I know, Drew," I replied. "But, whatever caused you to leave – we can fix it! Just…just tell me why you left. Just tell me what bothered you and…" My shoulders sagged. "…and what's _still_ bothering you. Please, Drew. I _want _to help you."

Drew's eyes grew deep again. "You can't help me, May."

"Try me."

His eyebrows rose at that, though they then lowered again. He stepped away from the window, crossing his arms. His back was still facing me.

"You can't help me, May, because…" He sighed. "Because _you _are the reason why I left."

My face fell at that. "Wha-what?"

Drew looked at me. "_You're _the reason, May. I left because of you. I stayed away for ten years because of you."

"What did I do?" I asked, stepping forward again. I felt my heart plummet, and that sensation was evident across my face.

"You did everything."

I pulled back, wondering what he meant. I remained silent; I couldn't think of anything to say, already feeling guilty for a crime I didn't even know I had committed.

"Back then," Drew continued, sounding both hurt and angry, "I was dedicated to training – I was dedicated to becoming the best. It was a goal I had always held, a vow that I would never break, and a commandment I would never ignore. When I met you – when you became my rival – it only strengthened this want…this need – this addiction I had to satisfy. However, over time, you became my friend as well – the closest friend I ever had apart from Soledad. And, as we spent more time together, traveling and inspiring one another to keep going despite the obstacles in the way, I found myself always anticipating seeing you – that no day was complete until I heard your voice. Out of all of this came something I couldn't allow."

"What?" I asked.

Drew looked at me. "It was something that tore me away from that goal of becoming the best – a distraction I couldn't risk having. I had to get away from it, and I had to get away from the one who caused it, despite how much I didn't want to."

"Me…" I said. I shook my head. "But, what did I do? What did I cause?"

"I left," Drew continued, ignoring my question, "and I stayed away. For ten years I hid, trying to forget you and what you caused, hoping that once I did I would be able to finish my goal without problems. But…I found myself unable to escape it all; it haunted me, never leaving me alone, preventing me from even stepping out onto another contest battlefield because of the memories it would resurrect. When I got the letter inviting me to this Grand Festival reunion, I knew that you would be here. That's why I came, but the reason why I left in the first place is still here. Seeing you only makes it worse."

I couldn't help but clench my hands into fists. I was frustrated for not knowing what was causing all of this, and offended for that fact that Drew was blaming me for something he didn't want to tell me.

"Then why did you come back?" I muttered. My eyes narrowed. "If you can't stand to see me for whatever reason, then why the hell are you talking to me, Drew?"

Drew's eyebrows furrowed. His tone matched mine: "Because I couldn't fight it anymore. No matter how much I tried to stifle it – to push it away – it would come back. I _had_ to see you again, May."

I growled, walking up to him. "You're blaming me for causing the pain that made you leave and never come back, but do you know how much you hurt _me_ when you left? How much I missed you? How much I wanted to see you again? It was my own demon I couldn't feed, because I didn't know where you were. Now, you won't even tell me what yours is – you won't even let me fix it." My eyes began to water, but I held it back. "Don't do this to me, Drew. Tell me. Please. Let me help you."

Drew stayed silent. His eyes scanned my face. They darkened, and he breathed out slowly. I could feel his hot breath brush my skin, but I kept my frown firm.

"Fine…" I then muttered, turning around – still trying to fight back tears. "If you don't want to tell me, Drew, then this conversation doesn't need to continue."

I was about to walk forward – I was about to head towards the door and leave – but something stopped me; something grabbed my arm and stayed me in place.

I turned around, meeting Drew's gaze. My frown tightened, but it had been hard to ignore the feeling of his fingers around my arm. They still were. Warm. Soft. His skin felt the same as it always had felt. I wanted to leave, but at the same time I wanted to stay.

"What you caused…was something I could never fight," he said. "_The need to be with you_."

I froze at that.

"What…?" I said.

"I came to see you – I came to be with you – because I wanted to, and that was something I could no longer push away and ignore."

I stared into Drew's eyes. They were deep again – pools of emerald that defined who he was – and his bangs only added to their appeal. Their reptilian hue was still there, proving that, beneath his skin, a majestic dragon thrived – powerful and filled with grace.

_My Arceus_, I thought, slowly breathing out. _What a beautiful man._

"Why…?" I slowly said, my voice a whisper. I now knew why he had left, and I now knew why he had come back. But, I wanted to hear him say it, to confirm what I thought with his own voice. "_Why_, Drew?"

"Because…" Drew murmured. "Because I love you, May. I've loved you for a long time, and I still do."

His hand was still on my arm. My eyes were still locked with his. We both were still close to one another.

And even with his words I didn't take my eyes off of him – I didn't pull away. Because I didn't want to pull away.

Slowly, with the hand that was still holding my arm, he began to pull me closer, his eyes never leaving mine. Soon, our foreheads touched, our noses sliding past one another.

Then, his lips were on mine.

Warm. Soft. His lips were like his skin. The hairs of his goatee tickled my chin, and I could feel his heartbeat as my chest pressed against his, his hand still on my arm. My lips moved against his languidly, savoring something I never thought I would get to feel.

When we slowly broke apart, my eyes opened and our gazes connected once again.

We were silent, our faces only inches apart, our breaths caressing each other's skin. His fingers slid off my arm, finally letting go.

And, at that moment, both of my hands came up to cup his face, and I leaned in and pressed my lips to his again.

His arms encircled me, hands moving up my back, fingers tangling themselves in my hair. I opened my mouth to his, our tongues meeting, and I shivered at his taste – a mixture of unnamed flavors that equaled to him and only him. No one else.

Soon, I felt his hands slide down and towards my front, beginning to undo the buttons of my shirt.

I pulled back from Drew when he undid the last button, on which he stared at me, appearing slightly worried – as if he had done something wrong. But, I only smiled, and, moving my arms, I slipped the shirt from my shoulders. He looked down, but then back at my face. He slowly breathed out, stepping towards me, where he pushed his lips against mine, pulling me closer to him, his touch sliding down my bare side. I shivered from it, my fingers pressing against his back as I held his shoulders.

Eventually, my own hands slid down, mirroring what he had done – unbuttoning his shirt, sliding it off of him, and then relishing in the heat that radiated from his bare skin.

We never broke our kiss as we made our way to the bed. We never broke our kiss as he climbed over me, tenting me with his body. We never broke our kiss as we began to remove the rest of our clothes, tossing them aside, getting them out of our way.

Sex was nothing new to me. I had been with others before, kissing them, making love to them. But the love I had had with others had never been real – they had always been feelings that turned out false, fueled by the want to just have someone there. This was different, though. This was _real_.

Because, at this moment, I _needed_ Drew. I needed his arms around me. I needed to know that he was here – that the ten years where we were apart didn't have to linger and haunt the both of us.

My hands slid down his back. His skin was hot, heated from our actions, and I pressed my lips to the middle of his chest. His fingers brushed my own skin, his touch soft, matching with the elegance of a coordinator, and I raised my head to continue our kiss. His scent of roses and mint was strong. I inhaled continuously as I explored his body.

When we became one, Drew threw his head back, crying out my name.

I didn't know how much time had passed before we were spent. After what felt like hours, we collapsed into each other, falling into the bed. Our skin was covered in sweat, our breathing quick and hard. But, despite this, his eyes never left mine, just as they hadn't before.

Drew's fingers came up, softly brushing my cheek. "Finally…" he whispered. "You're finally in my arms."

My hand covered over his. I kissed his palm. "As long as you never leave mine…" I whispered back.

Drew's arms encircled me, pulling me closer.

And I closed my eyes, listening to the sound of his breathing.

* * *

It was morning when I woke up; artificial sunlight leaking in through the window, signifying what time it was on the surface. I shifted, feeling the cool air brush my naked skin.

Trying to remember where I was, I leaned forward, holding the comforter of the bed I was laying on against my chest. I scanned my eyes over the room, spotting the clothes that were thrown carelessly around the floor, and I arched a brow. I heard breathing from beside me.

Turning my head, my eyes widened as I recognized Drew sleeping next to me, his bare chest visible, though the comforter covered over everything else.

My breathing quickened.

As fast as I could, I got out of bed, gathering my clothes and putting them on.

I paused at the sound of movement, and I looked behind me to see Drew beginning to wake up, groaning slightly as he put a hand to his head, obviously trying to orient himself. He looked around, his eyes eventually falling onto me, where his eyebrows rose.

"May?"

I only shook my head, ignoring his further questions of what I was doing as I put on the rest of my clothes and headed towards the door. I opened it and emerged into the hall, thankful that it was empty, and began to make my way down it – away from Drew's room.

However, I didn't get far. I hadn't thought I was going to.

"May! Wait!"

I stopped, but I didn't look back. Drew ran up to me, having been able to find time to put on his jeans before I got too far.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

I shook my head again. Memories of last night flashed through it. "Drew," I said. "Do you know what we did last night? We shouldn't've done that!"

Drew's jaw dropped, though he then furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"It wasn't right!" I said. I tore my gaze away from him. "I can't just…just love you when you've just come back after ten years! After you've been gone for so long! After you hurt me like you did!"

I walked past him, quickening my pace, but he stopped me yet again. His face was firm – serious.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that you regret what we did," he said.

I stared into his eyes. I wanted to regret that I had made love to my rival. I wanted to regret feeling how warm his skin was beneath my fingertips, how he tasted, and how he smelled. I wanted to regret hearing him call out my name, making me feel truly wanted, truly needed, as if I was the most important being in existence.

But, I couldn't get the words to come out. Why couldn't I get them out?

"Just…leave me be," was all I said, and I walked past him again, heading down the hall.

This time, Drew didn't stop me, and I forced myself not to look back.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

... o_O

Well, I tried to keep the sex scene, like, implied and vague in detail, so I don't think I have to boost this story's rating. If you think I should, though, feel free to say so.

Anyway, next chap coming soon!


	8. Be Afraid

Hey peoples!

I would've gotten this chapter out sooner, but, alas, Dragon Age has been forcing me away from the computer with its addictive-ness.

:D

Anyway, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Be Afraid**

* * *

I didn't know what to think.

I felt guilty. I felt hurt. I felt foolish. I felt dozens of emotions that clashed together like gods at war, reminding me of what Drew and I had done last night. I had given into my feelings – hidden feelings that had been lying dormant inside of me for so long – but because I had done so, I felt like a traitor who had committed treason against herself.

I was supposed to feel angry towards him. I was supposed to hold him against how he had left and not forget how he had hurt me, but my anger for the past – the feelings I should've been feeling – had been pushed away by happiness for his return. And they had been pushed away by the love I had felt last night – the comfort that came with being in his arms – and it had blinded me so that I couldn't see that what was happening was wrong.

But…Drew had left because he loved me, and he had come back because he loved me. Was it even right for me to feel angry towards him if that was the reason why he had disappeared – why he had hurt me?

Out of all of the emotions I was feeling, I was mostly confused. I didn't know what was 'right' anymore. Hate Drew because he hurt me, or forgive him because he loved me.

I leaned against the wall outside of the contest hall, staring up at the dome that covered over Enfer. It was the afternoon now – almost nighttime if I wasn't mistaken – and the light that had been emitting from the dome had started to dim, resembling the growing darkness that came with the evening. I sighed, closing my eyes. I had spent most of the day walking around the central part of the city, trying to sort out my thoughts – trying to determine what was 'right' in everything that had happened recently – and in the end I was no closer to finding the answer than I had been when the mystery first started.

I hadn't seen Drew all day – not since I had left him in the hall this morning after waking up and discovering that I was sleeping in his bed right beside him, still exhausted from the lovemaking we had done the previous night. I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing – what he was thinking and what he was feeling – and if he was even looking for me as I stood here. However, at the same time, something told me that he wasn't looking for me – that he was giving me the space I needed to think over my thoughts.

Another sigh escaped me. Had I hurt Drew when I walked off from him this morning? I hadn't turned around when I was leaving – I hadn't bothered to see what his reaction was to all of this. Perhaps that was the reason guilt was also dwelling up inside of me, almost as strong as the rest of the emotions I held, and this only added to my constant questioning of what was 'right' in this.

"May?"

My eyes opened. The voice that had spoken wasn't deep and smooth, so I wasn't quick to turn my head. When I did, though, a pair of azure-colored eyes met mine, and a small sense of relief filled me upon seeing Lionel close the door into the contest hall's lobby behind him.

"I haven't seen you all day," he said, walking over to me. "You weren't in the lobby during the contest appeals today."

That was true – I hadn't bothered to see the continuation of the Festival's appeal round today, mainly because I had too much on my mind. Also, my appeal was already done, so I had no reason lingering in a location where Drew might find me in case he was looking for me.

"Wasn't really in the mood to watch appeals," I muttered. "I'll just see who made it when the battle round comes up."

Lionel arched a brow, as if saying such a thing was blasphemy when coming from a coordinator. However, he said nothing on the matter, instead replying with: "Where's Harley and Soledad?"

"They did their appeals yesterday, too," I said.

"Ah. That's right."

"They told me before they left yesterday that they were going to relax," I added. "They're probably at their hotel."

Lionel hummed thoughtfully, gazing out at the city of Enfer. "What about Drew? I haven't seen him at all either."

The edge of my lip twitched at the mention of Drew. This didn't go unnoticed by Lionel.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing you should be worrying about."

Lionel frowned. "Come on, May. If something's bothering you, tell me! I might be able to help."

I forced a smile, appreciating the fact that Lionel was willing to listen. However, if I told him everything, he would probably be just as confused and shocked as I was – something I didn't want to inflict on him. I turned my head away, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't end with the both of us asking for guidance from Arceus.

"Too much drama," I eventually admitted, leaving it at that.

"Like…" Lionel began, putting a finger to his chin. "Adult drama? Or…soap opera-y drama? Or, holy-crap-I-got-drama drama?"

Despite everything, I let out a laugh. It was nice to see that, apart from Harley, someone could still put a smile on my face in the darkest of times.

"Something like the middle choice," I said when I sobered.

"Okay," Lionel mumbled, a contemplative look crossing his face. "I don't want to barge into any personal matters, so…"

I grimaced. _Trust me - in this case, you don't want to._

"But," Lionel added, smiling, "I will say this: I've had my own fair share of 'soap opera-y drama' as well."

I blinked. "Really now?"

Lionel leaned against the wall right next to me, crossing his arms. "Oh yeah. Grew up in a rich family, lived in a fancy mansion on the top of a hill that overlooked Celadon, was homeschooled because my father believed that no public school was good enough for me…But, of course, despite all of this, I was still dumb enough to spend all of the money I earned winning contests gambling in Celadon's game corners once I was old enough to do so."

I rolled my eyes, amused. "I must admit, I honestly thought you were kind of dorky the first time I saw you."

"No offense taken, mate," Lionel replied, raising a hand. "In fact, I was quite the dork back when I was a teenager. Like, I had this weird obsession with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Squirtles. I collected all of the action figures, and posters of the characters covered my walls. My parents thought it was an unhealthy addiction. I thought it was the coolest thing around." He grinned sheepishly. "I still kind of like them, now that I think about. Arceus, I need help."

I chuckled. "Harley likes them, too. Don't feel bad." I looked back at the city of Enfer, my frown slowly returning. "Sometimes, I wish I could return to my childhood – when I was young and my journey through the various regions to become a top coordinator was still brand new."

I could feel Lionel's eyes on me. "What for?"

"I guess I really miss those days," I murmured. "Back then, things were so much simple. Soledad was always scolding Harley for being an 'effeminate nerd', and I would always sit back and say: 'You know, one day they're going to be married.' Also…" I closed my eyes. "Drew was always…there. He would tell me everything, and whenever I was sad he would go out of his way to make me feel better."

"Well…" I heard Lionel say. "Drew's still like that, isn't he?"

I didn't answer, because I didn't know what to answer with. The Drew I knew wouldn't've hurt me like he did. But, at the same time…

I sighed.

"Come on," Lionel then said. "It's getting late. Let's head inside."

I slowly nodded in agreement.

Following him, we both emerged into the contest hall lobby. Surprisingly, despite the fact that the Grand Festival had paused in wait for the next day, the lobby was still filled with people who had stayed behind to converse with one another, most likely talking about who they believed was going to make it to the battle round. Feeling something tapping my shoulder, I turned my head to eye Lionel, who then pointed forward towards the hallway that led into the hotel area where my room was.

My eyes widened.

Drew was standing there, arms crossed, isolating himself from the crowd like he tended to do. His eyes were distant – he was lost in thought – and it didn't take a genius to determine what he was thinking about.

I swallowed hard.

Whether he had been looking for me or not, I knew I couldn't avoid him forever. Slowly, I began to walk forward, leaving Lionel behind.

"Drew…" I softly said, coming up to him.

Drew turned his eyes to me, on which they grew tender. He unfolded his arms. "May…"

Silence. The world beyond the space between us disappeared as my gaze focused on his. I could practically hear his breathing, reminding me of the previous night where I had fallen asleep to its soothing rhythm.

"Drew…" I repeated, my eyes not leaving his. "I…"

But, before I could continue, everything went black.

The lobby's lights went out in the blink of an eye, filling the entire room with darkness. Alongside this, the ground shook with a tremendous force, nearly knocking me from my feet. By the sounds of short yelps and gasps, I could tell that this wasn't in my head.

Suddenly, the lights came on, and I shook my head, trying to regain my balance. I looked around; the other coordinators that had been occupying the room appeared stunned, obviously wondering what had just happened. I looked back at Drew, who appeared just as bewildered as the rest of us.

"What was that?" I asked, gazing around again.

"It felt like an earthquake," Drew answered.

"Mates!"

We both snapped around, catching sight of Lionel waving at us from the door. We made our way over to him.

"It looks like the entire city blacked out for a second," he said, pointing outside of the door.

"Come on," I said, leading Lionel and Drew outside. We stopped at the edge of the walkway, gazing out at Enfer. I could hear the crying of police sirens and damaged cars, proving that the short 'earthquake' had definitely caused a disturbance in its wake. "That definitely did feel like an earthquake, now that I think about it."

Lionel nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was. Even seafloors have those-"

He was cut off when the ground shook violently again. I struggled to maintain my balance, but I felt my heart jump when, this time, alongside the booming sound of a shaking floor, something much louder came out.

A roar.

I looked up, eyes widening as I saw a cloud of fire burst up from the area a few streets down, rising above the buildings that blocked out our viewpoint. Then, comets began to fire out of it-

Wait.

They weren't comets. They were…

I gasped.

"_Move_!" I yelled out.

Drew, Lionel, and I managed to get out of the way right as a large chunk of concrete smashed into the pavement where we had been. I looked at it; fire oozed from its cracks.

"What the hell?" I heard Drew say.

I got up, looking back at Lionel and Drew. "We have to find out what's going on!" I said, not waiting for them as I ran down the street, heading towards the screams of humans and the cries of pokemon.

It wasn't long before Drew, Lionel, and I emerged into the street where the explosion had taken place. People and pokemon were running in our direction like water that had just been liberated from a dam, nearly pushing us down as they tried to escape – as they tried to flee. Overturned cars were all around us, the buildings that lined both sides of the street either crumbling or being eaten away by numerous fires that reached out from their windows.

I headed forward, dodging the shoulders of people who were heading the opposite direction, Drew and Lionel right behind me. That roar from before returned, and I swore that it was loud enough to shake the entire dome. I gazed ahead, trying to see past the wall of smoke that was hiding what was beyond us. I didn't need to search hard, though, because something then came out of it.

It was a claw – a large claw that seemed like it could touch the very top of the business building it was beside. It had five fingers, nails long and sharp, bluish-colored scales covering the entire arm and spikes protruding gruesomely from various places, including the elbow and knuckles. It lunged forward, slamming into the tall front that made up that aforementioned business building, and, slowly, it raked against it, tearing out the front of five floors all at once. Glass rained down on the people and pokemon who were still just emerging from the smoke, knocking some of them off their feet.

Another roar tore through the air.

"What _is _that?!" Lionel screamed.

I didn't answer, because I didn't know.

The ground began to shake again, and it was then when I realized that the creature the claw belonged to had now knocked down the business building altogether, tearing it from its foundation and causing it to tip as it began to fall onto the very street that we were on.

I felt someone grab my arm, and I was pulled away from the scene and towards what looked like an apartment building, the door ajar to where the residents of it had fled without second thought. Still holding my arm, Drew pushed Lionel and me into the building, slamming the door shut behind him, closing his eyes as he did so. Knowing why he had ushered me in here, I braced myself.

The ground shook, a loud crash that nearly deafened me filling the air – and I knew that the business building had fallen, crushing whatever had been in its path.

Then, another roar broke through, and the ground began to jump – as if something…big…was stomping through the street. Eventually, the stomps grew distant, and that was when Drew slowly opened the door.

Whatever had caused all of this was gone now. Left in its place was what looked like the aftermath of the apocalypse – the business building was on its side, the people and pokemon who had managed to avoid getting crushed trying their best to crawl out from underneath it, and the buildings that hadn't been destroyed by its fall was still being burned away by raging fires. The sirens of police cars were now louder, and the people and pokemon who had survived the attack were now walking around, colored gray from debris, searching for any sign of loved ones or a sense of order in this chaos.

My breathing quickened. What was going on? What had attacked us?

"Come on," I heard Drew say, his voice sounding incredibly calm in this situation. However, when I glanced at his face, noticing how pale it was, I could tell that he was just as scared as I was.

We walked down into the street; it was much more empty now, but that only made the scene more disturbing. I then saw that groups of people were gathering in front of what looked like a store of some sort – a hardware store that had miraculously survived the attack. I pointed it out to Lionel and Drew, and we made our way over to it.

"Hurry up!" hissed a man that was standing towards the front of the crowd, his skin colored gray and light bruises covering his arms. "Get the damn thing working already!"

"I'm trying my best!" snarled another man – one who was standing behind the broken display window of the shop, fumbling with the wires of one of the television sets he sold. With the fact that he was wearing a now-torn shirt with the store's logo on it, it was obvious that he was the store's manager. His electabuzz, shivering slightly as it gave its master the tools he needed, stood by his side.

Eventually, the television's screen flickered on, and the man let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank Arceus," he said, then beginning to push the buttons on the front, turning the channel to the Enfer City News. Everyone huddled up closer at that.

An anchorwoman dressed in red was addressing the situation, an overhead look of a burning portion of Enfer showing on a small screen beside her, proving that our street wasn't the only one that had been attacked. Below her were the words 'Breaking News: Something Hits Enfer'.

"Around seven this evening," the woman began, her voice quick, sweat pouring down her face – as if she wanted nothing but to get up and run out of the news room, "Enfer was attacked by an unnamed force. Parts of the city are enveloped in flames, and deaths and missing reports are already in the fifties. Right now, the force seems to be moving through the city, leaving destruction in its path, and police are bewildered to what this force could possibly be. Nonetheless, they are confronting it as we speak."

I watched as Drew pulled away, not bothering to listen to the woman inform what people should do until this issue was dealt with. I looked back at the television, where she then continued with information about the attack.

"It is unknown on who is behind this attack," the woman continued, "or how it happened to have appeared out of nowhere. However, it was recently uncovered that the attack first began in the northern district of Enfer."

I froze.

"I repeat," the woman added, "it is believed that the attack first began in the _northern district of Enfer_."

My breathing quickened again, and I forced myself to back away from the television. Drew turned to me, his eyebrows rising at my state, and I felt Lionel place a hand on my shoulder.

"May?" he asked eagerly. "What is it? What's wrong?"

I looked at him, and then I looked at Drew as he came closer, appearing just as confused as Lionel was.

"The northern district of Enfer…" I said, my eyes immediately watering. "That's where Harley and Soledad are."

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

-runs around screaming-


	9. Run a Little Faster

Hey peoples!

Thanks to the Arceus movie, I got the inspiration to write something Pokemon-related. Thus, here's the next chapter to YNA!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Run a Little Faster**

* * *

I felt Lionel's hand slip off my shoulder as soon as I had mentioned that Harley and Soledad resided in the northern district of Enfer – the place that was first attacked – but the only person I looked at was Drew. His eyes were widened, focused on the ground, his chest rising and falling quickly. He appeared as if he was about to have a heart attack.

"No…" he said, his voice barely above a whisper; if I hadn't been standing close to him, I wouldn't've heard it. He slowly looked up, meeting my eyes, his voice growing louder. "No…"

And then he spun around, now yelling.

"_No_!"

He ran forward, leaving Lionel and I behind.

"Drew!" I called, immediately taking off after him.

Luckily, I was able to stop him before he got too far, cutting off his movement by stepping in front of him. I nearly backed away when he glared at me, baring his gritted teeth, his expression a mixture of fear and anxiety.

"Get out of my way, May!" he snarled. "I have to go to Harley and Soledad! _I have to save them_!"

"You can't just run off!" I replied, standing my ground. I pointed behind me – at the business building that was laying on its side, cutting the road off up ahead. "There's _something _out there, Drew, and you don't know what! Who knows what'll happen if we move too fast without thinking first!"

Drew stepped forward. "I'm not going to sit here and 'think' when Harley and Soledad might be in danger! That 'something' isn't going to stop me!"

"That 'something' attacked this city, Drew! You can't go out there alone when there might be more of whatever it is!"

"What do you want me to do then, huh?" Drew hissed. "Do you really want me to sit here and wait for help to arrive? Harley and Soledad are the ones who need help, and they need it _now_!"

I reached forward, my fingers almost brushing his cheek – though something was holding me back from actually touching him. "Getting yourself killed," I said, my voice now calm, "is not going to save Harley and Soledad. I know how much you care about Soledad, Drew, but I'm sure she wouldn't want you to do this either."

At that, Drew seemed to relax a little. He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. Then, he opened them, and they met mine. "I have to do something," he muttered.

"I know." I looked behind me, watching the smoke that rose from buildings in the distance. "But we have to get prepared first. We need to go together, and we need to move with caution. I want Harley and Soledad with us just as much as you do, but we need to be careful."

Before I could say anything else, Lionel came forward. "On the news," he said, "it was just announced that the entire city is planning to be evacuated. Whatever attacked, the police are already considering it a big enough danger to threaten the lives of everyone here. Honestly, I thought the view of burning streets and screaming people were already making that obvious."

"How is everyone going to be evacuated?" I asked.

"There are supposedly escape pods of some sort at a station in the southern district," Lionel answered. "It's being advised that everyone head there as fast as they can. Even the police force are getting involved in this and are escorting people to it."

I looked at Drew. His eyes were still filled with worry. I sighed.

"Drew and I can't go yet," I told Lionel. "We…we don't know if Harley and Soledad are safe or if they got this news. We have to go to them first."

Lionel nodded. "I know, May. I'm going with you."

My eyes widened. "_What_?! Lionel, you can't-"

"Arceus damn me to Hell if I'm just going to leave," Lionel said, his voice firm. "Even with the short time we've known each other, Harley and Soledad are my friends as well. If they need help, I'm going to do whatever I can."

I met his eyes; they were filled with seriousness. With this, he no longer looked like a goofy college kid, but instead a man willing to fight for the lives of others, no matter the risks.

"Thank you…" was all I said; unable to stifle a smile, and Lionel returned it.

"We have to move now," Drew reminded us, his tone stern again, though his skin was still pale.

I nodded in agreement. "Right. Let's tell our pokemon what's happened, and then we'll go."

* * *

Despite having agreed that we would head towards Enfer's northern district with caution, we still moved with as much speed as we could while doing so. We used alleyways to pass streets that were either blocked off by fallen buildings, or were filled with too much debris and fires. Such damage to them was evident – proof that whatever attacked this city had come through them – and we used that as our direction towards the north district. In the midst of running, I could hear the distant roars of the attacker, as well as explosions that I knew were coming from the people who were trying to fight back, keeping it at bay. The ground still shook every now and then, though since we were so far from the source now we were able to keep our balance with ease.

My blaziken ran beside me, having no trouble with maintaining the same speed I was. Her eyes scanned over the areas we passed, staying alert for any sign of danger. Drew's absol was doing the same, staying by his master as he sniffed the air every now and then, seeing if he could identify any scents that might belong to things that would pose a threat. Meanwhile, Lionel's metagross, its legs folded in since it could psychically float faster than it could physically walk, was staying in the back, watching for anything that might've been following us.

Eventually, we came across a street that, regardless of being as deserted and damaged as the rest of the ones we passed, indicated that we had reached the northern district of Enfer through a large sign that stood by one of its abandoned buildings. It felt like we had been running for hours – and with the fact that smoke from burning buildings had somewhat obscured our view of the dome's top, we couldn't really tell what time it was.

However, we had no intention of resting, and therefore we continued forward, emerging into an opening where different hotels were lined up together in one area – like the Strip at Celadon – and I felt a sense of relief at the possibility that we had finally reached where Harley and Soledad were.

"What hotel were Harley and Soledad staying?" Lionel asked.

I gazed at the different hotels; some of them had been knocked off their foundations, leaning on other hotels that had managed to stay standing. Others were burning to the ground, and some had completely fallen on their sides. More proof that whatever had attacked this city had come through here – and that it was something big.

"They mentioned it yesterday," I said. "I…I think it was called…'Lugia's Grotto.'"

"There!" Drew said, pointing at a tall building that had an elegant painting of the legendary, Lugia, on it as its logo. The building itself looked like it had – at least – forty floors.

I swallowed hard.

Drew ran towards it, his absol by his side, and Lionel and I followed, our own pokemon at our heels.

Lugia's Grotto was – fortunately – still standing and not on fire. However, its roof had been viciously torn off, and I hoped that Harley and Soledad hadn't been staying on one of the top floors. When we made our way inside and into the lobby, the first thing we noticed was that the lights were still on, as if the people who had been working or staying here had disappeared into thin air. We didn't think much of it, though, and Drew quickly made his way to the front desk.

"Come on," I heard him hiss, punching away at the keyboard to the computer that was on the desk. He met my questioning eyes with a glance, where he said, "I'm searching for which room Harley and Soledad are in."

Understanding, I pulled away and took the time to secure the area with Lionel, our pokemon following our lead. We didn't find anything – no sense of danger, as well as no sense of innocent life – anywhere within the lobby, so we met back up at the front desk as our pokemon looked around by themselves one last time.

"Blaze!"

I jumped as Blaziken called me, her voice sounding…

…frightened.

I quickly made my way over to her. She was standing in front of the wall right next to the elevators, staring at it with widened eyes. The wall was a golden color, with a weird pattern on it that seemed to be painted with red paint. I wondered why she was finding such a thing so disturbing.

That is, until I got closer, and a copper-like scent reached my nose.

"My Arceus…" I whispered, nearly falling back. Now I was staring at the same wall Blaziken was – and with the same amount of fear flooding through me.

What was on the wall wasn't red paint.

It was blood.

* * *

When Drew was able to find out where Harley and Soledad's room was, we didn't wait to begin making our way up the stairs. We would've used the elevator, but with the fact that we didn't know if the building was truly stable, we decided it would be safer to use another method to reach the twentieth floor – the floor where Harley and Soledad supposedly were.

I told Drew and Lionel about the blood on the wall as we continued to climb the stairs. Lionel's face paled even more at the discovery, and Drew's response was really no different – though he kept a firm frown on his face. He knew that, despite what we encountered here, we had to see if Harley and Soledad were alright. I knew this, too.

With our pokemon right behind us, we soon emerged onto the twentieth floor of Lugia's Grotto. Like in the lobby, the hall's lights were on, but the area itself was deserted. We made our way down it, passing the open doors of rooms where the residents had left in a flash, as well as fallen and destroyed pictures and tables that had once adorned the hallway.

Suddenly, Absol stopped, his head tilted as he sniffed the air.

Drew turned around. "What is it? Do you smell Harley and Soledad?"

Absol looked behind him, and then brought his eyes back to Drew. He shook his head.

"But then…what is it?" Drew asked, frowning.

Absol looked behind him again – at the door that led to the stairs we had taken. His eyes narrowed, as if he was sensing something, but he wasn't sure what. I looked at Lionel's metagross, who seemed to be sensing something as well. Blaziken was no different.

Eventually, Absol, eyeing the door suspiciously, walked up to Drew and nudged him forward – as if trying to tell him to forget it and that it was nothing. Drew looked back at the door, but said nothing as he then turned around and continued down the hallway. Lionel shrugged and followed him, his metagross right behind him, and it wasn't long before Blaziken and I dropped the subject as well.

"This is it," Drew said when we came upon a door towards the end of the hallway. "This is Harley and Soledad's room."

The door was shut. He reached for the handle, trying to turn it. However, it didn't budge, either locked or blocked by something on the other side. Drew growled, now smashing his fist against it.

"Harley!" he called. "Soledad! It's me, Drew! Open up!"

At first, no response came, and I feared the worst.

However, seconds later, I could hear the shifting of locks, and the door slowly opened, revealing a familiar pair of metallic green eyes behind its crack. The eyes widened, and the door came flying open the rest of the way.

"Drew!" Harley said, sounding as if he hadn't seen us in years. "May! Lionel! I'm so glad you're all okay!"

I rushed forward, wrapping my arms around the amethyst-haired man, stifling tears. "Harley! I thought…we thought…"

I felt Harley return the hug. His voice was soft. "It's okay, hon. Nothing's happened. At least in this room."

"What about Soledad?" Drew asked eagerly. "Is she okay?"

I pulled away from Harley, who nodded. "Yeah," he said. "She's just fine. Come on."

He walked into the room, and we followed. The room was much more organized than the ones we had passed, though at this moment organization didn't matter. We saw Soledad sitting on the edge of their bed, her hand to her head.

"Soledad!" Drew gasped, running forward.

Soledad looked up. "Drew?" She smiled. "Drew!"

As soon as she stood up, Drew's arms were around her. "Are you really okay?" he asked; he never really believed anything Harley said.

"I'm fine, Drew," Soledad said.

"Do you guys know what happened?" Harley asked, walking forward. "Soledad and I were sleeping in when we were suddenly awoken by some sort of…earthquake. And then everyone was running out of the building all screaming and stuff, and we could hear explosions right outside our window. By the time we finally had a chance to look, though, whatever was causing all of it was gone."

"We didn't know what we should've done," Soledad added. "So, we stayed here until we found some sign of what was going on."

I breathed out slowly, and then began to explain what had happened – what Drew, Lionel, and I had seen when the attack first began by the contest hall. I also explained what the newswoman on TV had said, including the plan that the city was going to be evacuated.

"Wow…" Harley said when I was finished. "So…what exactly _is_ attacking the city?"

"I don't know…" was my only answer. "Whatever it is, it sure as hell isn't human…or like anything I've ever seen before."

"Is it…" Harley began, sounding hesitant. "Is it…a pokemon?"

Soledad stepped forward. "It doesn't matter what's attacking us; it's the fact that it's obviously something serious. May, you said the city is being evacuated, right?"

"Yeah," I said. "There is an escape pod station in the southern district. Everyone's heading there."

"Then we should do the same. Whatever is out there, I don't think it's a good idea to be in the same breathing space as it. We need to get out of here as soon as we can."

I met Drew's eyes, and he nodded firmly in agreement to Soledad's words.

"Let's go," he said.

* * *

We emerged into the hallway minutes later, and I glanced around cautiously as I led the way. It was still empty; and, despite that that was the preferred preference, such a factor didn't make things any less eerie. Blaziken was right behind me, followed by Absol and Metagross. I nodded at Drew before we began making our way to the door leading to the staircase-

Absol suddenly stopped – just as he had done before we entered Harley and Soledad's room. In response, we all stopped as well. It was then when I noticed that Metagross had tightened its frown, and Blaziken's eyes were slowly narrowing.

"What is it?" I asked, somewhat expecting it to be nothing like it had been the previous time.

However, it wasn't 'nothing' this time, because Absol then jumped forward and took a place in front of all of us, gaining a battle stance and snarling viciously. He was glaring down the hall – at the door into the staircase we had been heading to.

And before I could ask what was wrong, the door to the staircase blew open.

I jumped as the door flew off its hinges, slamming into the wall opposite from it. Smoke billowed from it – evidence that a powerful attack had been used on it.

Then, a form emerged from the staircase, slowly walking into the hall. It was humanoid, standing on two hind legs, black fur covering most of its body, whereas red, yellow, and gray mixed into one color that ran down the center of its torso. Its claws flexed, a large spike protruding from the back of each of its doglike paws, more spikes coming out of the fur along the upper arms and legs. It was leaning forward – hunched – and that was when I realized that there was a large dorsal fin coming out of its back. The ears on its head twitched, the lips of its snout curling back to reveal yellowish fangs, a star-like shape colored on the fur around its nose. Its tail swished back and forth, and when it slowly turned its head, glaring at me with its eyes, I nearly fell back.

They were pure red, lacking an iris and a pupil. Just like…

As if it was a reflex, I reached for the pokedex in my pocket. I flipped it open, scanning the creature by the door.

The pokedex's screen flashed, and the picture and information of a mightyena came up.

Then, the screen flashed again, blinking – confused – and the picture and information of a garchomp came up.

"Can't be…" I slowly said.

It was just like the golbat/luxray pokemon back in Lilycove!

"What is that…?" I heard Harley say.

I looked back up at the mightyena/garchomp pokemon, and, red eyes filled with hunger and bloodlust, it kneeled forward and roared.

"_Run_!" I screamed.

As soon as we turned around to do so, more roars tore through the air. I glanced behind me to see that more fusion-like pokemon had emerged from the door, following the mightyena/garchomp's lead and eyeing us with the intent to kill. One even had blood dribbling down its chin, and I knew that the blood wasn't its own.

"Absol!" Drew said. "Night slash!"

Absol growled, lunging forward, his scythe glowing as one of the fusion pokemon moved ahead to intercept him. With swiftness, Absol slashed his scythe against the pokemon, causing it to cry out as it flew to the side, slamming into the wall. At that, the other fusion pokemon moved forward.

Following his master now, Absol backtracked, catching up to us as we ran down the hall in the opposite direction, hoping that there was some sort of escape on the other side, too.

"Blaziken!" I yelled out. "Flamethrower!"

Blaziken followed my command, opening her beak and shooting out a tunnel of flames. The flamethrower made contact with one of the fusion pokemon, pushing it back, whereas the others that had dodged it continued on, chasing us.

To our luck, we soon saw a door that led to an alternate staircase – one that still led to the bottom. Drew rammed into the door with his shoulder, immediately pushing it open and holding it open until everyone ran through it. I was the last one, and as soon as I made my way through, Drew slammed the door shut. A large thud sound was heard, and I knew that one of the fusion pokemon had crashed into it in the midst of trying to catch us.

We raced down the stairs, never stopping – even when we heard the door fly off its hinges and the roars of the fusion pokemon echo throughout the tower-like climb. But, they were still faster, and it wasn't long before I had to jump forward past a whole flight of steps as one of the fusion pokemon – the mightyena/garchomp one – lunged forward from behind me. I heard it smash against the wall, missing me, and it roared out in pain. The others moved past it, determined to slaughter us.

Soon, we emerged into the lobby, and I looked behind me as three fusion pokemon followed, all on the verge of catching up. Quickening my speed as much as I could, I dove through the door leading outside as soon as everyone else had, and Drew slammed it behind me. He held it closed as tight as he could, even when one of the fusion pokemon rammed into it, trying to get it open. It pushed its snout to the glass, snarling viciously, exposing its fangs and the blood that covered them.

"I can't hold it forever!" Drew growled, gritting his teeth, now pushing his shoulder against the door in an attempt to keep it closed.

My eyes widened as one of the fusion pokemon smashed their glowing claw through the door's glass, now reaching for Drew. I had to do something, but what?

And then, I looked up, and a plan suddenly came to mind.

"Blaziken!" I called. "Flamethrower! Hit the area right above the door!"

Blaziken did just that, firing out a flamethrower that hit the concrete. Evidently unstable, the wall began to crack, and with one quick move I grabbed Drew's arm, pulling him away from the door and onto the ground. The wall then gave out, caving in and onto the fusion pokemon that had been attempting to get through it. I sealed my eyes shut, bracing myself, hearing the fusion pokemon roar.

When everything quieted down, I reopened my eyes. I could no longer hear the roars of the fusion pokemon. I looked at the entrance into Lugia's Grotto; my plan had worked. The area above the door had caved in, either blocking off the fusion pokemon from getting out and reaching us, or smothering them with chunks of concrete. Perhaps both.

Drew got up, helping me up in the process.

Harley, Soledad, and Lionel approached me. They looked as if they were about to say something, but I raised my hand, halting them from doing so.

"I don't know how long that will hold them off," I said quickly. "It's best we go. Now."

Without questioning my suggestion, we all headed forward, running into the alleyways and not looking back.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Well...needless to say, the stay in Enfer has definitely been quite eventful so far. xD


	10. Sick or Sane

Hey peoples!

Sorry for the wait! Went on hiatus, but I'm back.

Enjoy the next chap to YNA!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Sick or Sane**

* * *

I didn't know how much time had passed before we stopped running, nor did I know how much distance we had actually covered in the process. As we ran, my thoughts were completely focused on the possibility that the fusion pokemon were in the midst of catching up to us, having escaped the blockade Blaziken had made. I never saw anything whenever I shot a look over my shoulder, but I preferred to be safe than sorry.

We all agreed to stop when we reached an area where the street broke into two, one continuing forward towards the southern district, and the other turning towards the western district. Lining the streets were a set of apartment buildings and small stores, in which all of them were damaged so badly it made the entire area look like a scene out of one of those end-of-the-world disaster movies. Cars littered the streets, some thrown upside down, some driven into the windows of those aforementioned stores, and some even torn into pieces and scattered all over the place.

I gulped. Something big had been through here. Something very big.

"We'll rest here," Drew said, out of breath from the running we had done. "I don't think those…whatever the hell those are…are following us now."

I looked at Drew, mentally calling him crazy for picking this place as a temporary sanctuary.

Drew caught my eye, and, seeming to read my mind, he tossed his head forward. I followed his direction, my eyebrows rising at the sight of an abandoned gas station that sat on the corner of the two separated streets. Unlike everything else, it actually seemed intact; or, at least when compared to such things as the shredded cars all around us.

We headed forward, each of us spreading out to secure the area, our pokemon being just as cautious. When we all confirmed that the place was safe, we approached the actual gas station, where I looked inside through one of its broken front windows. It was mostly dark; the only sense of light that existed was within the lights that lit up the fridges, which were still working and cooling beverages that had been for sale. With that, I was able to see the aisles of snacks, seasonings, and other items that were spread throughout the station. Of course, the employees who had been working here were gone, leaving behind proof of how desperate they really were through the money-less cash machine that lay broken in front of the checkout booth.

I turned my head, noticing that Drew had already walked through the door, his absol right behind him, who stopped every few seconds to sniff the air. I walked in after him, Lionel following me, and I gestured for Harley and Soledad to keep watch outside as we secured what would most likely be our 'base' at the moment. Blaziken stayed close to Absol as they both moved through the various aisles, Metagross breaking away from the group to check the manager's office. Meanwhile, Drew and I made our way to the back, keeping our movements quiet so we didn't have a chance of alerting anything in case there was something bloodthirsty hiding amongst us.

I let out a sigh of relief when Drew shook his head at me, having looked into the bathrooms. We met back up with our pokemon at the entrance into the station, where we then gestured for everyone to get inside.

Using some pieces of wood from the torn up buildings outside, we started a small fire in the middle of the station with Blaziken's help. We all sat around it, and I was glad to feel a sense of warmth – a sense of actual security since this all began – as the fire cackled and danced to a song that no one could hear. I looked at Drew, whose eyes were focused on the flames; I could see their reflection in his gaze, as if he was thinking the same exact thing that I was.

"Well?" Harley then said, his voice breaking the silence that had been covering us. With the fact that the whole area was abandoned and dead, any noise, no matter from whom, sounded awkward. "What the hell were those things that were chasing us back at the hotel?"

"I don't know," I said. My frown tightened. "But I've seen one of them before."

At that, Harley and Soledad's jaws dropped, whereas Lionel and Drew only looked at me silently, already knowing what I was referring to.

"Back at Lilycove," I began, "before we all boarded the train to get here, one of those…things…was revealed to be hiding in the train station. I accidentally disturbed it and it came after me. And…well…if it hadn't been for Drew it probably would've…killed me."

"I heard about that incident," Soledad said. "They confirmed it to just be a sort of golbat, right?"

"But that's just it," Drew cut in, sounding frustrated; I couldn't blame him for despising the confusion we were all in. "It wasn't just a golbat. It looked too different to be a golbat. It may have been part golbat, but it was also something else as well."

Lionel shifted. "Then does that mean that the caretaker's pokedex was wrong?"

"Probably," I said. "Even 'brand new' devices can still have flaws, more flaws than an old one."

"So…" Harley said. "What you're trying to say is that the things that just tried to make chop suey out of us are…mixed pokemon?"

"Fusion pokemon is what I call them," I replied. "I remember asking Professor Verdana about it before this all began – on how such a thing was even possible – and the only thing she said was that most things in the universe were possible, and the idea of fusion-like pokemon is most likely one of them."

"But…how would they be…made?"

"Obviously not naturally."

Soledad frowned. "You think some sinister organization's behind this?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Drew muttered, disgust clinging to his tone. "Only some sick bastard could create monstrosities like these."

"Like…Team Rocket?" Lionel said.

"Maybe. Or maybe this is all the doing of a new group trying to experiment with things that no organizations we currently know would dare try. Yeah…that's just what we need."

I returned my eyes to the fire, my voice growing quieter. "But why attack us? Why send those monstrosities down here?"

"Maybe there's something here they want," Lionel proposed. "Maybe they want the source that powers all of Enfer – you know, that generator thing beneath the ground? - and they're sending those…fusion pokemon…to get rid of anyone who could possibly threaten their plans to obtain it."

I groaned. "Sounds like the plot to a bad horror flick."

"But that sounds realistic," Soledad said. "I mean, undoubtedly since this city's creation it's been advertised a few times. Any power-hungry organization who's heard of it would want something to do with this…or at least an arrogant one who's willing to get it by any means necessary, even if it means creating those…things."

I buried my face in my hands. "I don't know. I just don't know."

"Look," Drew began, standing up, "the important thing right now is to reach the southern district of this city and get the hell out of here. We'll rest for now – we'll probably need it – but we should leave in the morning." He frowned, turning around and walking towards the station's window. He stared up at the dome, which, following his gaze, I could see was still obscured away by the smoke of burning buildings. "Or…at least at the first sign of artificial daylight," he corrected with a grunt.

"Okay, mate," Lionel said, standing up as well. "You guys get some rest. Metagross and I will keep watch."

"Thanks," Drew replied. "We'll take turns."

Lionel nodded, heading out the door with his metagross right behind him.

Soon, the fire was put out and we all spread out across the floor, using whatever supplies existed within the station for comfort. Harley and Soledad slept together on the other side of the room, their pokemon by their side, whereas Blaziken slept beside me, her position being that of sitting up against the wall, head slightly bowed. She looked like a warrior by doing so, but I couldn't blame her for keeping her guard up, even in a moment of peace.

I looked over, on which a couple of feet away Drew slept.

I slowly breathed out, watching as his chest rose and fell silently. Smudges of dirt covered his arms and clothes, and a small cut was on his cheek from when I had to pull him to the ground as Blaziken created a blockade for us back at Lugia's Grotto. And, even with these, he was still handsome. Despite everything, he still slept peacefully; he still looked like the Drew I knew.

I felt my hand slightly clench. The Drew I knew…

Part of me…wanted to move closer to him. Part of me wanted to find security in him rather than only just in a makeshift fire. Memories of the night we had spent together flashed through my head, where he had served as my security, where his arms had cocooned me, and I felt protected from any force, no matter what it could've been. And, even with the fact that we were now being chased by monsters – by pokemon that had been changed into mindless killers – the idea of being in his arms again filled me with a sense of hope.

But no. I couldn't, because in a situation like the one we were in, I couldn't blow up the walls around me just because I was scared. What Drew had done still hurt, and I was still debating on everything that had happened between us since we first arrived here. I couldn't betray the morals I had grown up following…certainly not now.

I tore my gaze away from Drew, and I forced my eyes closed.

* * *

I was awoken by a large crash, or some kind of sound that was coming from the back of the station. I looked to the side of me, where Drew had also been startled into consciousness, Soledad and Lionel looking just as confused as we were. Harley ran into the station from outside (I assumed that he had been assigned the last shift before morning), his cacturne right by his side.

Quickly, Drew got up, his absol following him, and they both ran towards the back of the station. I jumped to my feet, Blaziken mirroring me, and we both went after Drew, hoping that the foreign noise wasn't what we all feared it was…

When we stepped outside into the lot behind the station, I felt myself relax at the fact that what had caused the noise wasn't a fusion pokemon, but instead…

My eyebrows rose.

A…man?

Indeed. Digging through the trash that filled the dumpster by the station's wall was a man who was probably in his late thirties; with spiky, black hair, unshaven stubble, and clothes that were ragged and dirty, as if he was a homeless person who had been living on the street all his life. Behind him was a cart filled with various items – mostly half-eaten sandwiches and clothes that were only slightly less ragged than the ones he was currently wearing.

"Hello?" I spoke, coming closer to the man. A sense of relief flooded me at the fact that we had finally found another source of life. Innocent life.

"Dirty, dirty, dirty!" I heard the man say as he continued to bury through the contents of the dumpster, his words coming out quick. He reached deeper, his entire upper half now concealed. "Always dirty! You think with a place that expects to make money they would be a little cleaner. They aren't though, but am I one to complain?" He giggled. "Oh no. No, no, no. One man's trash is another man's treasure! Oh yes! Yes, yes, yes!"

I blinked, looking behind me at Drew; as well as at Harley, Soledad, and Lionel who were now beside him, just as confused as I was.

"Um…" I said, turning back around to face the man, who was still burying his way through the contents of the dumpster. "Did you hear me?"

"Yes. Yes I did. I heard you perfectly! Why do you ask?"

"Because…you didn't answer?"

"Oh, I answered, dear! You said 'hello?' and I answered! I responded! I said something in response to your own spoken words! Isn't conversing fun?"

Okay. I was creeped out.

"Who are you?" Drew asked, stepping forward.

"What?" the man in the dumpster said. "Who am I? Why do you ask? Why does it matter? In this situation, why does anything matter? Names aren't gonna save us."

"_Somebody's been drinking_," I heard Harley sing monotonously behind me.

Drew growled at the man. "What do you mean?"

At that, the man picked himself up from out of the dumpster, landing on the ground and dusting himself off as if he had suddenly become an eloquent gentleman.

However, that façade went out the window just as fast as it had come in.

The man laughed, stepping forward until he was right in front of Drew and I; wide, dark blue eyes that had bags under them switching between us. "What do I mean? I could mean a lot of things. Just by one simple sentence I could mean so many things! Isn't it amazing?"

Drew and I shared a confused glance.

"Oh, don't be so cautious, friends! In a time like this, allies need to be made! Strengths need to be combined! And we can't do that if we're suspicious of everyone we come by, right? We all want to survive this; we all share the same goal, so why not work together?"

"It's going to take a lot more than that for us to trust you," Drew muttered.

"Aw, really? What a pity. What a shame. Tsk. Tsk. Oh well. You all seem to be a pretty good group, I'm sure you can survive this. I'm sure you can survive the demon."

My heart skipped a beat at that. Was he referring to the monster that first began the attack on Enfer? The giant one? "W-what did you say? _Demon_?"

The man threw his arms up. "Yes! Demon! A vicious demon! He stalks the streets, destroying everything in his path, because that's what monsters and demons are made for, right? To cause anguish? To cause pain? To destroy everything that is innocent? Oh, a demon he is! Yes, yes!" The man jumped forward, bearing his fingers in the form of claws, showing his teeth and letting out a vicious snarl. He then began to stomp around, even stepping on some small rocks purposely as if they were buildings. "His eyes burn red like infernos, his scales are unbreakable! His claws can tear through anything, and he is bigger than any living thing that has ever existed! He breathes fire like a charizard, but yet can also shoot a hydro pump that is stronger than any blastoise's. He can shoot lightning from the tips of his claws, and freeze an entire ocean with a mere flick of his tail. Oh, such a marvelous demon he is! Such a powerful, stunning pokemon! Too bad he's bad!"

I debated with myself on whether this guy was just a desperate man looking for attention by any means necessary – by throwing out random stories that weren't true, but still appealing to people who were terrified of the situation. On the other hand, though…

"How do you know this?" Drew asked before I could. "Are you friends with it or something?"

"Friends?" the man repeated. His face paled. "Oh, no, no, no! I am not a friend with the demon! I am just Bane. Ellis Bane. A poor unfortunate soul who has been thrown into this chaos just like you all have."

Ellis Bane? So that was his name…

"But," Ellis added, raising a finger, "I know many secrets about the demon. Oh yes I do. Oh yes I do. Many, many secrets. Secrets that may be helpful to some, but worthless to others, and even a sign that I need to be locked up and kept away from other people. Oh yes. Many secrets. Many, many secrets."

"Like?" I said.

Ellis put a finger to his chin. "Let's see…what is there? Oh! The demon is not alone. I'm sure you've seen the other ones? The lesser demons? The ones that hunt after you, as well as anyone else who escapes their father's wrath? Oh yes. Those lesser demons are the children of the big demon? Fitting, eh?"

My eyes widened. "How-"

"How is that possible? I dunno. How would I know? I'm just a crazy man digging in dumpsters for some food. I'm not a scientist. I was told I'm not a scientist, but instead a crazy man that needs to be locked up before I cause trouble with my outrageous theories! Outrageous, yes!"

Ellis suddenly leaned forward, and I took a step back. No, it wasn't out of caution. He smelled.

"Here's another secret," he whispered. "The main demon controls the lesser demons. They're hunting you – they're hunting everyone – because he told them to."

My face paled.

"Why should we believe you?" Drew growled, stepping in front of me and preventing Ellis from coming any closer. "As you just said, you're just an insane person who's been locked up before. And for reasons, obviously."

Ellis pulled back. "Why so much distrust? Everyone distrusted me, and I was thrown away for it. What if I'm right? I'm not saying I am, but what if I am?" He wiggled his finger in front of Drew's face. "Then you're gonna wanna wish you listened to me. Mmhmm. Besides," he added, walking around us, smirking, "I'm one of the few people in existence who knows the name of the demon."

Drew snorted. "It has a name? You said that names wouldn't save us."

"Ah, but that was one of the situations where I was evidently wrong! Don't you see? I would admit when I'm wrong whenever I'm wrong, as long as I'm aware that I'm wrong! I'm trustworthy! Anywho, the demon's name could save everyone, or at least those who are still alive."

"How so?" I asked.

Ellis stepped away. "Oh no. No. No. No. I couldn't tell you. They might hear me. I've already told you too much. They might hear me if I tell you more, and they'll certainly lock me up again. Or maybe they'll feed me to the demon. Oh, I don't want to think about it!"

Drew arched a brow. "Who? Who's going to lock you up again?"

Ignoring Drew, Ellis reached into his cart, pulling out what looked like a black marker. Then, he began to draw on the wall of the gas station, writing something.

"I cannot speak any more, friends! The true enemy is in the shadows; they are everywhere. They can hear me. If I tell you anymore – if I tell you the demon's name – they'll have my head. Oh no, I can't say his name. Oh no. That's the key to defeating him; thus, I mustn't say it! Otherwise, they'll kill me!"

When he was done, Ellis pulled away from the wall, capping the marker and tossing it back into his cart. He looked back at us.

"Run, friends!" he said. "Run away as fast as you can! Run from the demon! Run from his children!"

"We're heading back to the surface," I replied. "They have escape pods in the southern district."

"Oh no!" Ellis buried his face in his hands. "That won't work! Don't you know? Once the demon is done with this place, he'll go to the surface and he'll destroy everything that is there! There is no point in going back, because he'll come after you! No matter what you do, the demon can find you! Hide your scent! Hide your body! It won't matter! _He hunts on your fear_!"

"Our…fear?" I repeated, but before I could say anything else, Ellis was already riding his cart down the street.

"Farewell, my friends!" he called out to us. "Good luck!"

And he was gone.

I looked at Drew, whose brows were furrowed in thought.

"'The hell was that all about?" Harley asked, walking up to my side.

I didn't answer. Instead, I walked forward, looking at the wall Ellis had written on.

In big black font were the words…

My eyes widened.

'_The demon's name is…'_

I looked down at the final word.

'…_Kruismara.'_

**

* * *

**

**To Be Continued**

**

* * *

**

...

Lol.

Yes, Ellis is named after Ellis from Left 4 Dead 2. :D

Anyway, Ellis is not as insane as he appears to be. Just sayin'. :P


	11. Bitten

Hey peoples!

Yes, the fast updates are back. xD

Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Bitten**

* * *

When I was young, I had many fears, and one of those fears was fear of the dark; or, to be more specific, the fear of monsters. Despite that such a fear was common in other children, the assurances from my father that no monsters were hiding under my bed never really put me to ease. As soon as he would turn off all the lights and leave my room, I would rush out of bed to turn them back on; I thought that the monsters that I were certain resided somewhere in my room needed darkness in order to move, so if darkness surrounded me the monsters would come out and gobble me up.

Evidently, 'hiding' monsters never gobbled me up, and as I grew up I realized that such a fear only came from the wide imagination I had had as a child. No such horrors could ever walk the earth, I was certain. _There was no such thing as monsters_.

But, as I walked down the street that led towards the southern district of Enfer, making sure I didn't step on any loose pieces of debris that would send a crunching sound echoing throughout the area and invite every bloodthirsty fusion pokemon to my location, I found myself fearing the very same things – the very same monsters - I feared when I was a child. I looked at Drew, who was walking in front of me, eyes narrowed and watching the alleyways we passed every now and then, as if expecting something to come running out at any second. Harley was just as tense, snapping his head in every direction from which a noise came, though it was always just the creak of a building weighing heavily on weakened supports. Soledad – the very same Soledad that was revered around the coordinating world as always being calm and collected – was obviously stifling herself from shivering in front of the rest of us. Lionel kept sighing, as if to relax himself.

It looked like we were all reliving the past.

I pushed the thought away, knowing that letting go of all control would ensure that I wouldn't get far. Like everyone else, I swallowed my fear and kept moving.

Kruismara…that was supposedly the name of the monster that had first attacked Enfer. According to Ellis Bane, Kruismara was the 'father' of the fusion pokemon that now scouted the city in search of humans and regular pokemon; he controlled them, and he was ordering them to destroy everything in sight just as he was doing downtown. (I cringed as I heard another distant explosion of war – and another roar that shook the ground beneath my feet in response.)

And, Kruismara supposedly hunted people by their fear.

I couldn't help but wonder what Ellis had meant by that. A monster that hunted on fear? I had heard of monsters in movies and books that found their prey by either seeing them, smelling them, or hearing them. But, never had I heard of something that found someone by sensing his or her fear. The mere thought sent a shiver down my spine; we were all terrified at the moment, so did that mean Kruismara wouldn't have any trouble if he tried to find us?

I sighed. Perhaps I was putting too much thought into this. I needed to focus on getting to the southern district and to the escape pods. I needed to focus on helping Drew, Harley, Soledad, and Lionel. I needed to focus on staying alive.

I nearly bumped into Drew's back when he suddenly stopped in place. The road had begun to incline upwards as it ran over a small hill, and I looked past Drew to see why he had seemed to freeze when we reached the top.

My eyes widened.

Ahead, the streets seemed to break into two parts – just like back at the gas station. However, this time, they split to go around what seemed to be a sort of multiple-level train station; railroads that were blocked off by crashed trains and other buildings that had fallen onto them ran through the station, heading in opposite directions towards the eastern and western districts. It wasn't the same train station that took people from Enfer to the surface, but more like a train station that took people to different parts of the city.

I looked back at Drew, who was massaging the bridge of his nose with his fingers, shaking his head slightly.

"We have to go through that building, don't we?" I said, closing my eyes.

"Yes. If we try to go around it, it will take a lot longer. We have to get to the southern district as fast as possible."

"Aw shit," Harley grumbled.

I couldn't've agreed with him more.

* * *

Releasing our pokemon, we made our way towards the train station, crossing the parking lot that was filled with ripped up cars. Surprisingly, the outside of the train station wasn't as damaged as I thought it had been; it only had a few holes in its walls and roof every here and there, being in much better condition than the buildings all around it. It reminded me when a tornado it – sometimes, one would destroy all of the houses around a building, but miraculously never touch the building itself.

Inside, the lights above that had once lit up the terminal were broken, covering the area in darkness. Some trains were still parked, waiting for passengers, while one had gone off the track, tearing up the tiled flooring before it crashed into the wall, creating a gaping hole that revealed the rooms beyond. Sparks flew out of the said train's windows, dropping like water from its broken lights, circuits and wires.

I swallowed hard, hoping that no one had been on that train.

The entire area seemed deserted – just like most places we had crossed – and it only brought me to feel uneasier. I kept a firm face, though, as I followed Drew. Our destination was set on the second floor, where a directory we had passed prior to entering the terminal had listed the location of the doors that led outside. We all looked hard, trying to spot a sign of a staircase or an escalator-

I stopped.

Drew turned around, having noticed me. "What is it?"

I slowly looked over my shoulder. All I saw was darkness. "I thought I heard something."

Drew scanned his eyes over the area; Harley, Soledad, and Lionel doing the same.

When nothing happened, Drew looked back at me, making sure to keep his voice quiet. "Come on. We have to keep moving."

Nodding, I caught up with him, and we continued forward.

That is, until I heard the sound again - the sound of movement; the sound of something scraping against the walls behind us.

I turned. But, again, I saw nothing.

I breathed out, forcing myself to relax. I was being thrown back into the past, where I was little and scared of the dark because it brought forth the monsters that terrified me even more. I scolded myself, because just like before I assumed it was my fear getting the best of me, causing me to imagine things that weren't really there. Though, in this situation, how could I tell what was real and what was just a hallucination?

I looked down at the tiled floor, which was mirroring me, reflecting my paleness back to me.

My eyes widened.

I didn't only see myself. Right above my reflection was a red-eyed figure, slowly reaching down for me from above, sharp fangs exposed in a silent snarl.

I snapped my head upward, where I saw the living, breathing fusion pokemon.

I yelped, diving forward right as it would've grabbed my neck. Drew, Harley, Soledad, and Lionel spun around.

The fusion pokemon roared, jumping down from the wall, its voice echoing across the whole terminal.

"Damn it!" Drew hissed. "Flygon! Flamethrower!"

I rushed to my feet as Drew's flygon flew forward, shooting a beam of fire from his mouth.

The fusion pokemon jumped up, dodging the attack. It impaled its claws into the wall, climbing up until it reached the ceiling. I didn't stop to think of what combination of pokemon it was made up of, but I wouldn't've been surprised if it was part infernape.

"Pidgeot!" Soledad ordered. "Wing attack!"

Soledad's pidgeot flew past Flygon, heading towards the ceiling. Right as she would have hit her glowing wing against the fusion pokemon, the monster jumped off the ceiling, landing sideways on the wall of a column that separated sections of the boarding platform. Then, it jumped forward again, its speed so fast that Pidgeot didn't have time to dodge; it hit her, wrapping its arms around her and carrying her with it to the ground.

"Pidgeot!" Soledad cried.

I gritted my teeth. "Blaziken, blaze kick!"

Blaziken ran forward, her legs enveloping themselves in flames before she kicked the fusion pokemon in the side, forcing it off of Pidgeot and sending it flying into the wall across the terminal.

As Soledad returned her unconscious pokemon to her pokeball, the fusion pokemon returned to its feet. It kneeled forward, letting out another roar.

And, this time, others responded to its call.

My face fell as I turned my head, watching more fusion pokemon drop down from the railings that traced the edges of the other floors, running towards us.

"Get to the second floor!" Drew yelled.

We ran as fast as we could, our pokemon pushing away any fusions that came close to us, whereas we tried our best to dodge ones that attacked from the front. Soon, we spotted the broken escalator that led to the second level. Following the others, I began to climb it-

Suddenly, something wrapped around my neck – something long and wet – and it started to choke me. I was then pulled back down the escalator, where my harsh landing on the floor shot pain up my spine. Whatever had restrained me was now beginning to drag me across the floor, away from the escalator and away from the others.

The first one who noticed my absence was Harley. He looked behind him, and his eyes widened. Quickly, he jumped down the escalator steps he had already crossed and towards my aid, where he grabbed a nearby chair and began stabbing what was holding me with the sharp end of a leg. Eventually, he seemed to cut through, as all force that had been pushing against my neck ceased. I gasped for air, grabbing the remains of what had restrained me.

It was thin, a red-pink color, and covered in slime.

My eyes widened, and I looked behind me.

The fusion pokemon it had belonged to was whimpering in pain, its long tongue having been severed in half. A fusion pokemon that was obviously part lickitung.

I swallowed the urge to gag as I tossed the part of tongue away.

"Come on!" Harley said, helping me to my feet, where we then began to make our way back towards the escalator. Drew, Soledad, and Lionel were already waiting at the top.

We began to climb, and we were halfway there before I nearly tripped, feeling the hold Harley had had on me sliding off. I spun around, realizing that a fusion pokemon had followed us, grabbing Harley's leg with its claw and pulling him back down.

"Get the hell off!" Harley hissed, slamming the bottom of his boot against the fusion's face, where it stumbled back. However, it didn't let go; it only seemed angrier.

Before I could do anything, Soledad rushed past me to help.

But it was all too late.

The fusion pokemon that was restraining Harley grabbed his shoulder with its other claw, hoisting itself up until it was face to face with him. Then, exposing its large fangs, it sunk them deep into Harley's shoulder.

Harley cried out, trying his best to push the monster off; it was no use, and the fusion pokemon raised its claw, impaling him in the side with it as it continued to gnaw on his shoulder.

At that, Harley stopped moving, his eyes slowly closing.

"_No_!" Soledad screamed, and she jumped onto the fusion pokemon, causing it to pull off of Harley, where it flailed around. Placing one foot on a step, Soledad used her other one to kick the monster in the chest, sending it tumbling down the escalator and into the horde that had begun to gather below.

With that, she turned to Harley.

"Harley!" Soledad cupped his face in her hands, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Harley! Wake up! Please!"

I rushed to her side, stifling my own tears. His blood, pouring from his side wounds and damaged shoulder, covered the step, beginning to drip down onto the others. I checked his pulse.

"He's still alive!" I said.

"Move!" Drew ordered, appearing in front of me. I heeded his order and he leaned down, wrapping his arms around Harley's front. Lionel came down to help him. They both picked up Harley, beginning to climb the steps. Soledad and I followed; making sure that the fusion pokemon didn't come up by having Blaziken send a flamethrower at any ones that tried to.

Soon, we were out the door and back into the outside world. I rushed to barricade the door with Blaziken's help, and the furious roars from fusion pokemon on the other side proved that we had some time to get away.

We quickly made our way down as many streets as we could, Drew and Lionel still carrying Harley. When we came across a street that was a safe distance away from the train station, Drew and Lionel sat Harley down against the wall. Drew pulled away, his face paling as he looked at his blood-covered hands.

Using whatever linen materials we could find, we wrapped up Harley's wounds, preventing them from bleeding any further. He was still unconscious, however.

Soledad kneeled down by his side, her eyes glossy.

"I don't know how long he'll survive on just that," Lionel said. "If he doesn't get any actual medical help…he might…" He couldn't say the rest.

"No…" Soledad repeated, leaning her forehead against Harley's. Her voice was quiet. Sorrowful. "_You can't leave me_! You just…can't…"

I swallowed the stinging lump in my throat, forcing my gaze away…

…where I spotted a lone newsstand on the corner of the street.

Thinking of something – if anything – we could do, I ran towards the newsstand, digging through the papers that had been thrown all around it. I was looking for-

_There_!

I pulled out a map of the city – something that would obviously be sold at such stands to help tourists get around. I spread it out and looked at it.

"Here!" I said, running back over to Drew, Lionel, and Soledad. I pointed to an area at the map.

"The city hospital?" Drew said, reading off the name of the area.

I nodded, and Lionel gazed closer at the map.

"That's only a few streets east of here," he said. His shoulders sagged. "But…would any doctors still be there?"

Soledad looked up at Drew, loose tears sliding down her cheeks.

Drew met her eyes and then looked at Harley.

And his frown tightened.

"We have to try."

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**

* * *

**

Wow...I just realized Harley spends a lot of time in the hospital in my fics. O.o

...

-hugs Harley- TwT


	12. Some Sense of Security

Hey peoples!

Lol I died again. :D

New chap! Sorry for the wait!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Some Sense of Security**

* * *

_Run faster!_

The voice in my head was screaming those two words. It was screaming them louder than when we were running from the encounters at Lugia's Grotto and the train station. My heart hammered against my chest. My muscles ached. Every street we passed seemed to take us no closer to the Enfer City Hospital. I saw only destruction – remnants of humanity that once stood without worry. There was no sign of the hospital, and I began to wonder if the map was wrong, or if we had taken a wrong turn, or if Kruismara himself had pummeled the building to the ground.

But I didn't stop. Neither of us did. Harley didn't have much time left. Blood soaked the makeshift bandages we had placed over his wounds. He was losing too much. Blaziken let out a whine as she carried his limp body in her arms, following us, her eyes filled with as much fear as ours were.

_Run faster!_

There it was, that voice again. I kept running, ignoring the pain that came with it. Drew took the lead as we came across another intersection. When he looked around the corner, his eyes brightened.

"Over there!"

I rushed to his side, following his gaze. Past a few more buildings sat the Enfer City Hospital. It was still standing, and its condition was much better than any other surrounding structure. Dark windows covered its surface, some broken and others intact. But the one fact that made my heart ease was the light that emitted from the front doors, marking the way for white-coated people as they led injured ones inside.

I closed my eyes to calm myself. When I opened them, Soledad and Blaziken were already running down the street and toward the hospital.

* * *

"We did get him here in time, you know."

I looked up and met a pair of soft azure eyes. Lionel.

All around us, the waiting room of the hospital was filled with people and pokemon. Even though it had been hours since our arrival, everything was still organized, maintaining that sense of security despite the discouraging screams of injured patients whenever one echoed from up the hall. Nurses ran in every direction with their faces filled with worry. All we could do was sit here, hoping that the next piece of news brought out to us by a pale doctor was one worth smiling over.

I exhaled. Slowly. I could feel Lionel's warm hand on my shoulder. I smiled weakly at him.

"Then how come I don't feel any better?" I asked.

Lionel's face fell at that, though only a little. "Maybe it's because we're still stuck down here…"

"I wonder how anyone can stand still," I said, "while knowing that, at the same time, that monster is ravaging some other part of the city. I'm still surprised people even stayed behind to keep this place running."

Lionel shifted, as if he didn't have a reassuring comment for that. "At least we have…armed guards at the doors to this place."

I shook my head. I remembered the soldiers that were standing guard at the multiple doors into the hospital, some even scouting the hallways. They carried weapons - weapons that were rarely ever brought out. On any situation that threatened innocent lives, pokemon were usually used to handle it. This situation, though…it required the firepower of both pokemon and man.

"Are we really safe, though?" I asked.

"We're safe…" Lionel frowned. "For now."

Images of Harley's injuries flashed through my head. I was still able to picture him lying there on the escalator back at the train station, struggling beneath the grip of a fusion pokemon. He had risked his own safety to ensure my own. That was evident in the blood that had poured from his wounds as we carried him here, praying to Arceus that someone could help him.

Luckily, we had made it in time, as the doctor had said. Both Soledad and Drew had gone into the room where Harley was, while Lionel and I had stayed out here to give the doctor more space. Even with the knowledge that Harley was safe, I was still terrified of the close call. If it had taken another hour for us to get here…

I leaned back in my chair. I didn't want to imagine what everything would be like if we hadn't made it in time. Or…or if someone else was in Harley's position, and this happened again in the future-

"Hey."

I looked at Drew as he approached us from down the hallway. He seemed calm, or relieved, the emerald in his eyes glowing in the somber atmosphere.

"Harley's up," he said, his voice quiet. It was soothing compared to the tones I had heard while I was waiting. "He's talking, too. Come on."

I got up, Lionel right behind me as we both followed Drew to Harley's room.

* * *

When Drew had said that Harley was up and talking, he hadn't been kidding.

"Ow! Ow! Fuckity ow!" Harley hissed, reaching for his bandaged shoulder.

The doctor grabbed his hand and halted him from doing so, ignoring how Harley glared at him. "That was quite a nasty bite there. Messing with it will only make the pain worse, Mr. Davidson."

"Don't 'Mr. Davidson' me! Give me some damn pills!"

"Harley…" Soledad sighed, though the relieved look on her face threw off any sense of frustration. "They've given you all they can. Let's just feel good at the fact that you didn't lose as much blood as we thought you did."

At that moment, I made my existence known, walking up to Harley's hospital bed. He turned his annoyed eyes to me, on which they immediately brightened with recognition.

"May!" he said, smiling goofily. "You're okay!"

"Thanks to you." I frowned. "That was a stupid thing you did back there. You almost got yourself killed."

"What was I supposed to do?" Harley leaned forward. "Sit there and watch you get eaten? Pfft. You're more important than my shoulder, honey. Trust me."

"You almost lost more than that."

Harley put a hand on his side, which was also bandaged where the fusion pokemon had impaled him with its claws. "Meh. Who needs an appendix anyway?"

I laughed at that. He smiled, his eyes warm, and a sense of comfort washed over me.

"It's best if he gets some rest now," the doctor said. "We'll keep him a few more hours for observation, then we'll figure out what to do from there."

"Joy," Harley muttered.

I stifled another giggle.

The doctor turned to Soledad, who had taken a seat right by Harley's bed. "Mrs. Davidson, you can stay with him if you wish, but everyone else has to sleep elsewhere. In case something happens, we're going to need all the room we can get."

I nodded, and followed Drew and Lionel out the door.

* * *

"I'm going to get some rest," Lionel said when we arrived back at the waiting room. "See you in a few, mates."

As Lionel disappeared down the hallway, I looked at Drew.

He leaned up against a wall, crossing his arms. His eyes were closed, as if he was trying to ponder on what was going to happen next, or what we were going to do after Harley was able to walk again. Or…something else.

I sighed, wondering about the future. The same questions from before came back to haunt me. Harley had nearly died at the train station. What if this wasn't the only time we were going to be thrown into this situation? What if, the next time, this happened to someone else? And…what if we weren't so lucky like we were now?

My throat grew tight. I didn't want to imagine seeing Soledad in Harley's position. Or Lionel. Or myself. Or…

…Drew.

"May?"

I looked up, meeting Drew's gaze.

He slowly breathed in, as if contemplating on saying what he wanted to say. He shook his head slightly. "What happened at the train station…it's obvious that these 'fusion pokemon'…" He shifted. "…It's obvious that we can die down here."

Despite being aware of that fact, it still struck me like an electric attack, surging through me and flooding me with fear. I looked at a soldier as he walked by, surveying the area, dressed in hard leather armor that looked like it could block out most physical attacks. "These soldiers are holding guns, aren't they?"

"As soon as Harley gets better, we're leaving."

I looked back at Drew. My mind wandered to Ellis Bane – the insane man we had met at the gas station. Was he really so insane, I thought. Did the monster – did _Kruismara – _really hunt people through their fear? What if he did? What if it was impossible to hide from the fusion pokemon? To escape? To run?

I didn't want to see more innocent lives be slaughtered by these things. I didn't want to see Harley, Soledad, or Lionel fall victim to them. Drew…I didn't want to…

…I didn't want to lose him. I didn't want to watch him die. I couldn't stand the idea.

"May?"

I blinked, returning to reality. Drew walked closer, standing in front of me. I looked him in the eyes – those reptilian eyes that still sent shivers down my spine. They were filled with worry and compassion. He knew how much Harley's state concerned me. He was thinking the same things I was. He knew that I was scared.

"Can we run?" I asked, my voice quiet.

_Are we _really_ safe?_

"We can't stay here either, May. We have to try, even if we're scared of what might happen."

"This thing hunts on fear, Drew," I said, fists tightening as I swallowed hard. "If I'm scared of losing you, then does that mean it will find me?"

Drew seemed taken back at that. He looked at the ground. His bangs fell in front of his eyes, the curtain they formed on the side of his face painting shadows across his skin. I suppressed the urge to touch him – to reach out and feel his warmth against my own, just like the night before this all happened.

Because I was scared of losing him, and that was something I could never deny.

I leaned closer to Drew, laying my head against his chest. He tensed beneath my touch, and I exhaled as I slowly wrapped my arms around him. His heartbeat was strong. Powerful. I closed my eyes. I needed his warmth. I needed the sense of security it provided for me. I could feel the walls I had built up all around me begin to crumble, but for once since our night together I ignored it.

Drew relaxed beneath my touch. His hot breath brushed my skin, the hairs of his goatee tickling my forehead. I felt his arms wrap around me, pulling me closer. He didn't say anything. I didn't say anything. We both stayed silent as I found the courage I needed in his hold. Explanations would come later. At the moment, he wouldn't seem to care if he even got one. I wouldn't care if I ever came up with one.

"You're not alone, May," he whispered.

Those walls came crashing down. And I still ignored it.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Yeah, this chapter was short. But I thought that this spot would be a nice place to end it. Got something important happening in the next one.

But, hey, Harley's okay! Yay! :D


	13. Halfway Gone

Hey peoples!

Here's the next chapter. The ending events were inspired by "Rain" from the Halo 3: ODST soundtrack. Such good music. Very good May/Drew music, too. :D

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Halfway Gone**

* * *

"May!"

I opened my eyes. The hospital's waiting room was bright and blurry. I frowned, shaking my head, trying to clear my foggy vision and make out the figure that was looming over me.

The figure leaned in closer. "May? You alive?"

"Yeah…" I said. Then I realized I didn't sound too assuring. I straightened myself in my chair, grunting at my stiff neck. I brought up a hand to rub it, and looked back at the figure in front of me. I stared with recognition.

"Really?" Harley said, arching a brow. "You don't look it…"

"Harley! You're up! And you're walking!"

Harley grinned. "'Course! Nothing can keep me down. You surely know that by now, right?"

I shrugged sheepishly. I turned my eyes to his side, where the shapes of bandages could be seen beneath the fabric of his shirt. "Do you feel okay?"

"A little sore." Harley hovered his hand over his shoulder. Bandages covered that also. "My shoulder is the one being a bitch, but even with that I'm sure I'll live."

I rolled my eyes. Standing up, I embraced him, making sure my arms avoided his injuries.

"Glad to have you back," I whispered against his chest.

"I'll always be here, hon. You couldn't get rid of me when you were ten. You sure as hell can't get rid of me now."

I pulled away from Harley, smiling softly at him.

"You're finally awake."

I turned my head. Drew came up, an amused smile on his face.

"I must've dozed off," I said. "Where's Soledad and Lionel?"

"Still sleeping. I couldn't really sleep myself. Too much…things to worry about."

I frowned. I could see the tiredness in Drew's eyes, but, as he was always able to do, he hid it with a poker face.

"We should get going," he then said.

I turned to Harley. "Are you sure you can keep walking in your condition? We can always bring crutches or something just in case."

"What for, May? My legs weren't the things that were attacked."

"You can always use them as a weapon," I heard Drew mutter, stifling a chuckle.

Harley rolled his eyes. "Oh, great plan. Watch as my enemies cower before me! Flee, fusion pokemon, and try to escape the wrath of my walking sticks!"

I laughed at that, though the humorous moment was cut off when a loud curse erupted from around the corner. I arched a brow, exchanging glances with Drew and Harley, who also seemed startled. I pulled away from the group and approached the corner, looking around it to see where the angered voice had come from.

A soldier was leaning against the wall, his brows furrowed, eyes closed, and mouth tightened into a frown. His aggron stood beside him, appearing just as frustrated as its trainer.

"What do you want to do?" spoke a female voice, which came from the walkie-talkie in the soldier's hand.

The soldier sighed and raised the device to his mouth. "My team has been ordered to stay here until backup comes to escort the doctors and patients safely to the escape pods."

"We can't send any of our troops to the Citadel either! We need every one we have to keep this monster at bay and make sure it doesn't reach the southern districts!"

"Isn't the mayor's safety as important as anyone's?"

The mayor? I thought. As in…Katherine Verdana?

"Yes, but if the monster reaches the escape pod stations, then _no one_ is making out of this alive."

The soldier clenched his fist. "Do you even know why Professor Verdana stayed behind?"

"No," said the voice on the other side. "All we know is that she's at the Citadel. She told us over the phone that she's there trying to figure out a way to stop the monster. We lost contact before she could tell us anymore. We would've sent teams down there to search for her, but we're all tied up at the moment keeping the monster at bay. We have injured men in the high numbers and just not enough walking ones to spare."

"I can't move my team forward and risk the lives of the doctors and patients here." The soldier bared his teeth, still frustrated. "Once these people are escorted safely to the stations, then my team and I will head to the Citadel as fast as we can."

With that, he turned off the intercom before the woman on the other side could protest.

I pulled back, meeting Drew's eyes. "Professor Verdana's still down here."

"If anyone could find a way to fix this mess," Harley said, "it would be her."

I closed my eyes and exhaled.

Then, I opened them.

"We need to go to her."

"What?" Drew said, Harley mirroring his shocked expression. "May, we need to get to the escape pods and get out of here!"

I glared. "And what? Leave Verdana behind? If she's trying to get rid of this monster, Drew, then she's going to need help!"

"What could we even do, May? What's the point?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I…I don't know. It's just…" I sighed. "Ellis Bane. Ever since we talked to him and he told us about the monster – about Kruismara – I've been finding it hard to just say that he was nuts."

Drew frowned, as if he…couldn't deny my opinion.

"Ellis said that Kruismara hunted on fear," I began. "He also said that when Kruismara was finished with Enfer, he was going to go to the surface and attack the cities up there. I know it's hard to believe this stuff when it's coming from only one man, but…with everything we've seen so far…I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this monster had intentions like that. If Kruismara reached places like Lilycove…his minions would completely feast off the population while he destroyed everything that made it what it was."

"I haven't been counting the explosions or echoes of gunfire," Harley added. "But I can still say there's been a lot. The monster…Kruismara…he doesn't even seem tired yet. Sections of the city are being ravaged – one after the other. If he does have intentions to move on after this, it wouldn't surprise me either."

"Ellis also said that Kruismara's name is the key to defeating him," I said. "We may not know what he meant by that, but Verdana might be able to use that info."

Drew ran a hand through his hair. He looked at me. "I…" His shoulders dropped. He knew he couldn't win. "Fine. But we need to head there as fast as we can. Hopefully, when we get there, Verdana will still be…"

"…Alive," I muttered.

I hoped that that would be true.

* * *

According to the map Lionel had kept (the one that had led us to the hospital), the Citadel was an armored laboratory located close to the Enfer City Contest Hall, but far enough to justify an estimation that it would take at least a day or two of walking to reach it. Considering the fact that we possibly had Kruismara and his bloodthirsty 'children' in our path probably raised that bet a little bit higher.

After we woke up Soledad and Lionel and told them of the new plan, we snuck out of the hospital building without alerting the multiple soldiers scouting the area. Since the soldier from before seemed determined in protecting anyone inside the hospital, I assumed that the rest of his allies were just as dedicated and would keep us from leaving the premises even with the acknowledgement of what we were trying to do. Yes, this practically confirmed that our mission was dangerous, but so was the option of traversing the rest of Enfer to reach the escape pods. The fact that Verdana had the skills to create a city beneath the water assured me that she at least had something that could be used against the monster destroying that very city.

Like before, the streets were filled with debris and cars. The only slightly damaged walls of the hospital had been burned into my memory. In this case, it was a diamond in a sea of stones. Shattered stones that held no indication of what they used to be.

Hours passed. Through the smoke that clung to the top of the dome, it was hard to tell whether it was day or night. Luckily, we hadn't run into any fusion pokemon, though we had heard roars in the distance that sent shivers down my spine and convinced us to pick up the pace. All that lay before us, ultimately, were the ruins of Enfer.

We decided to camp out in an abandoned bookstore. We would have stayed in a grocery market that was a few streets down, but the building it was built into looked unbalanced, ready to collapse any minute. The last thing we needed was to be squashed while we were trying to catch up on the sleep we would need for the rest of the trip to the Citadel.

"I'll keep watch," I said, relieving Lionel of his habit of taking the first duty. I smiled at him, which seemed to halt any protests ready to come from his open mouth.

He shrugged his shoulders, closed his mouth, and sat back down by the campfire.

I looked at Soledad, who had already fallen asleep by Harley's side. Meanwhile, Harley was taking advantage of our sanctuary's materials and losing himself in an issue of the _Teenage Mutant Ninja Squirtles_ he had found in the young adult section.

I stifled a chuckle. And then I looked at Drew.

His eyes were focused on the campfire, though they quickly met mine when he noticed me. His furrowed brows loosened slightly.

I returned his sentimental expression, but I was out the door before any words could be spoken.

* * *

I stood on the curb that marked the bookstore's corner, leaning against a streetlamp whose bulb was broken. Lifeless. I kept my eyes on the street leading forward in the direction of the Citadel, while Blaziken patrolled the other streets. It was silent. Everything was silent. Even the roars and gunfire as Kruismara was kept at bay were so distant now I could barely hear any of it. Everything seemed so…alone.

I closed my eyes.

The opening and closing of a door. The sound of footsteps. Someone was approaching me. I didn't turn around. I already had an idea of who it was.

"May?" came Drew's voice.

I said nothing as he walked up to my side. My eyes met his. Silence – like the very silence that haunted these ruined streets – sat between us.

"May…" he said. His voice was softer now.

I breathed in. Those words he had said to me in the hospital…

_You're not alone._

I wrapped my arms around myself and looked at him. His eyes were still on me, never leaving. Deep. Pondering.

Before I could say anything, something touched my shoulder.

Something light. Something wet. It soaked through the fabric of my shirt. When another one touched my arm, then my face, then other places on my skin, I looked up.

Rain. It was falling from the sky – from the clouds of smoke that smothered the dome. They fell on my face – soft, damp touches that seemed to come from nowhere.

Drew hummed thoughtfully. "Verdana never told us that the dome rained."

"No, she didn't…" I said.

The rain continued to fall. It fell on the damaged buildings. It fell on the lifeless streets. It fell on Drew. It fell on me. I didn't know if producing rain was the dome's response to the fires that had been burning for days, or if it was trying to feed trees and plants that no longer stood.

I looked back at Drew. The rain was already beginning to dampen his hair. His bangs hung, soaked, as he looked up at the dome.

"It was raining the day you left," I said. "Ten years ago."

At that, he looked at me.

"I'm not leaving anymore, though."

I met his eyes. They were glowing in the dark hues of the atmosphere. Droplets of rain ran down the lines of his face, falling to the ground.

Slowly, he raised his hand and brushed a wet bang away from my face. I didn't move away. When he used the same hand to cup my cheek, I still stayed in place.

My hand came up and covered over his.

A soft smile crossed his lips.

And we both stood there. In the rain. His hand on my face and my hand over his. Our eyes were locked. We were soaked, but we didn't care. The sounds of falling rain surrounded us, forming a veil around us that, at the moment, nothing could penetrate.

_You're not alone._

I closed my eyes and listened to the rain.

And I smiled.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

D'awww. XD

Anyway, we got a new mission! To the Citadel! Hopefully, Verdana can survive while May and the others make their way there!


	14. Break

Hey peoples!

Next chap!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 14: Break**

* * *

When I woke up, it was to the sound of voices. I leaned forward from the makeshift bed I had made on the bookstore's floor and tried to wipe away any remnants of exhaustion that still clung to me. I looked at the campfire, where I met Lionel's eyes when he noticed I was awake. He grinned and waved, but said nothing, evidently not wanting to disturb the conversation Soledad was sharing with Drew. His wave didn't go unnoticed, though - Drew turned around and nodded at me, flashing me a half smile. He faced Soledad again, giving me the time and space I needed to orient myself.

I got up and stretched. A semblance of light seemed to fill the room. It was morning, or at least the early afternoon. A damp smell lingered in the air, flowing in through the broken windows. Its cold touch reminded me of the rain that fell last night – the first sign of natural order in a city now filled with chaos. I knew that the rain had been artificial, created and dispensed by the dome itself as a weekly function, but it still resurrected images from the surface world; my life before I came down here and was thrown into a labyrinth with monsters around every corner that hunted anything posing a threat…or a meal.

Walking out the door, I noticed Harley sitting on the curb, bored eyes glued on the street ahead. His cacturne was right beside him, kicking his feet, even trying to dip the tip of his foot into a trail of rainwater that ran along the curb. I stifled a chuckle. Obviously, Harley was out here because he had taken the last shift of guard duty before we 'officially' began our day and got back on the road. It just reminded me of how I had covered two shift periods last night, shooing a groggy Lionel back into the bookstore when he came out to continue the shift I had stolen from him earlier. I thought I'd give as much breaks as I could, though…

I hadn't done it alone. From the beginning of my elongated shift to the end, Drew had stayed up beside me. With me. Even when the rain had fallen, he stood in it, enjoying its touch as much as I was…and never leaving my side even when it ended.

Before I could look back at Drew, Harley noticed me, growing a grin that immediately got rid of the boredom in his eyes. He motioned me over. I followed.

"We would've woken you up a few hours ago," Harley said, "but Drew insisted that we didn't. So, instead, we let you sleep in. Pretty weird, considering how Drew's usually rushing us."

I shrugged. "I probably wouldn't be much help in trying to reach Verdana if I was lethargic and tripping over my own two feet. Was up pretty late last night."

"I heard about that. Pretty courteous of you to double your shift time."

I sat down next to Harley, Cacturne standing up to give me room. "Well, I didn't do it alone."

"Heard about that, too."

I blinked and looked over at Harley.

He was grinning.

"Arceus damn it," I muttered.

"Oh please, hon. You honestly think that none of us would notice how close you and Drew seem to be? Even closer than when you were teens and the whole group-splitting thing happened."

"It's not like that, Harley."

Harley clicked his tongue. "How come I'm finding that hard to believe?"

Ever since Drew and I had spent that night together, I had kept it a secret from everyone else. I managed to escape from confessing to Lionel right before the attack happened, and all the events that occurred after that was – thankfully – distracting enough so I wouldn't find a reason to blurt it out to Soledad.

I couldn't even figure a way on how Harley would've suspected something. Unless Drew told him about the night, but that was highly unlikely. Despite the fact that Harley's marriage to Soledad practically made him the resulted father figure to Drew, Drew wouldn't tell him anything personal…without finding a cliff to jump off of afterwards.

Then again, did Harley even know about that night?

"How come you're being so suspicious?" I asked, arching a brow.

Harley put up his hands. "Alright. Alright. I had a hard time sleeping last night after reading that mind-gripping issue of Ninja Squirtles, so I was shifting and turning. And, in the process…I may have spotted you two getting all physical outside in the rain."

"We weren't getting physical-"

"His hand on your cheek and the smile on your lips said otherwise."

I frowned. I couldn't deny what he saw – definitely when he saw it all that clearly.

Harley's eyes grew soft. "What's holding you back, May?"

"What?" I paused. "What's holding me back from what?"

"From being with Drew?"

"Who says I want to be with him?"

Please, I mentally begged Harley. Please don't make me draw you into this mess.

Harley rolled his eyes. "Well, it's evident that you've had a crush on him since you were, like, ten."

"Puppy crushes. We all get them. We all outgrow them."

"Maybe so. But now I can see that this 'puppy crush' has grown into something a lot deeper."

I grit my teeth behind my lips and forced my gaze away from Harley's.

"What's holding you back, May?"

"You wouldn't understand," I said, not looking at him.

I wasn't even sure if I understood it myself anymore.

I heard Harley sigh. I looked over at that. He leaned back, looking up at the smoke-filled dome and the ruins of Enfer that surrounded us. "I understand that you're scared. Scared about something. It's evident in your eyes, May. And…with everything we've been through down here…it makes it all the more obvious." He met my eyes, smiling weakly. "What are you scared of? And I don't just mean these man-eating pokemon."

I clenched my hands into fists. What was I scared of? Why didn't I just fall into Drew's arms last night and kissed him like I had kissed him during our night together? Why hadn't I?

Harley was right. I was scared.

I was scared of history repeating itself. The morals I had grown up following were telling me not to give into my feelings – to forget forgiving Drew after he had run away for ten years trying to figure out his own emotions. I was scared that it was going to happen again. I would tell him I loved him. We would get together. And then, for more reasons, we would be separated for another decade or more, and the love I felt for him would be lost within time's oblivion…just like the feelings I had had for him when we were teenagers.

And now we were trapped in a city where death was around every corner. If I lost him…and I loved him…I wouldn't be able to keep going.

"You wouldn't understand…" I said, my voice fainter now. Almost a whisper. I closed my eyes. "You wouldn't understand why I'm scared."

The warmth of Harley's hand covered my shoulder. "Maybe. Maybe not. But…" He shook his head. "Sometimes, the strongest weapon against fear is realizing that you're not alone."

And with that, he got up, leaving me alone as he led his cacturne back into the bookstore.

I looked back. Harley sat down by the campfire next to Soledad, who was still conversing with Drew. He didn't say anything. He just watched Drew. Then, he shifted his eyes in my direction.

As if…he was going to keep my fear a secret.

Because he knew that I had to be the one to confront it. _I _knew I had to be the one to confront it.

Because I was the only one who could.

Only me.

_You're not alone._

And maybe the reason why Drew wasn't rushing to confront me about our relationship either was because…he was scared of the exact same thing I was.

* * *

After we ate anything we could get from the vending machines in the back of the bookstore, we headed out. We would need energy for the trip ahead, because according to Lionel we were nearly three-quarters the way to the Citadel. I knew we couldn't push ourselves beyond our limits despite the closeness; we wouldn't get there any faster and, instead, we would be lying on the streets, fatigued and vulnerable to any passing fusion pokemon with a thirst for blood. We needed to pace ourselves, though something inside of me wanted to protest to that idea. I followed it, though, also having a gut feeling that Verdana was tougher than she had appeared.

I frowned when I noticed that the street we were walking down looked vaguely familiar. Yes, it did look the same as every other street we had traversed because of its ruined buildings, upturned cars, and no sense of a living civilization. There were no signs that could indicate street names. They had probably been torn down in all the chaos that had erupted in the area. But, regardless of this, the street did look familiar – and not just through its post-apocalyptic appearance.

When we turned the corner, I realized why the street looked familiar.

Up ahead sat the Enfer City Contest Hall. Deserted. Just like everything else. Not too long ago I was sleeping in a room in one of the hotel buildings that surrounded its sides. Those buildings were now ravaged, their windows broken, their roofs missing – overall completely contradicting the images of their earlier appearances that were still fresh in my mind.

Apart from that, the arena that consisted the main part of the contest hall was still in good shape. There were no gaping holes whatsoever in its large dome – apart from the occasional chunk of wall missing from the base. Kruismara has been through here, but it didn't look like he had taken his time.

As if on cue, Kruismara's roar echoed from across the city.

I shivered.

With guns constantly firing at him, I doubt even he would have the patience to stand still.

We decided to go through the pokemon centers in the contest hall for medical supplies, which would benefit our pokemon and us for any future encounters with fusions. While we were in there, we agreed to cut through the arena rather than going back out and circling around the entire building. I was hesitant, however; I remember that the idea of going through a train station in an attempt to get around the obstacles outside of it was what led Harley to getting attacked and us rushing him to the nearest hospital.

But, before I could mention any of this, Harley was already ahead of us, opening the large doors into the arena.

* * *

"Is this really the best idea?" I asked, making sure my voice was low. I scanned my eyes across the arena. I didn't see anything amongst its massive battlefield or the stacking levels of seating that circled its cylindrical exterior.

But, from what I learned so far, that never meant the room was empty.

"If there's any fusion pokemon in here," Harley said, "then there's going to be fusion pokemon out there as well. It's inevitable and, either way, we gotta get across here and continue forward."

I frowned. "You're starting to sound like Drew."

"Hey!" Drew hissed from behind me, but my hand smacking what I assumed to be his thigh silenced him.

"Pidgeot," Soledad whispered, pulling out a pokeball. "Scout the area. If we do get to the other side without problems, we don't want to be followed."

Pidgeot shook her head as she materialized. She had recovered well from her battle within the train station. This showed in her lack of hesitancy when she nodded to her trainer and took off without a sound.

"Flygon," Drew said, "you do the same."

Soon, the dragon-like figure of Flygon was right behind Pidgeot. When they reached the midway point of the arena, they both separated, each taking a side to search.

I looked forward. I could see the emergency doors on the other side of the arena, which appeared small when compared to the main entrance doors. It was so close, yet so far away. I felt like I was traversing a minefield. One wrong step and everything was lost. One breath exhaled too fast could bring out the fusion pokemon hiding in the shadows, invisible to the eyes of both Flygon and Pidgeot. I exhaled. Slowly. I kept my eyes ahead and nowhere else.

Halfway there. I prayed to Arceus that neither Flygon nor Pidgeot would find anything – that we really were safe. I contemplated turning back and taking the long route around the building, but I knew that Harley was right. If there were fusion pokemon in here, then there would be even more outside, making our efforts pointless. If there was no fusion pokemon in here…well, we had nothing to worry about.

Three-quarters there. No cries of warning from Flygon or Pidgeot. I forced myself to calm down. I was being paranoid; memories of what had happened at the train station flashed through my head. That encounter had affected me more than I thought, because I had almost lost someone close to me. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if I preferred to stay away from dark passageways for the rest of my life now-

I jumped when a green form darted right in front of me, passing by like a bullet. The rush of wind that came with it blew over me. It made my heart jump. I looked where the green object had landed.

Flygon. He was unconscious, sprawled out across the ground like he had been hit by a powerful attack.

My face paled.

A roar echoed throughout the dome.

I looked up. On the third level of seating stood a fusion pokemon I hadn't seen before, balancing itself on the railing that traced the edge of the front seats. I didn't need a pokedex to see the evident features of a machoke, which constructed its main body. However, the gruesome thing about it was its distorted arm, which bulged widely, creating a circular shape it could undoubtedly hide behind. A shield. Like a shell.

I gulped. A shell…Part blastoise, too?

It roared, jumping down from the railing and landing on the ground, causing it to shake beneath my feet. It raised its shield-like arm, crouching before it, seeming unfazed by the long drop.

Then, it charged forward.

"Get out of the way!"

I screamed those words as I threw myself to the side, barely dodging the scraping claws of the fusion pokemon's normal arm. I snapped my head around, where the fusion halted itself right before it slammed into the wall. It growled, turning around, baring its fangs at us.

Putting its shield arm forward, it charged toward me again.

I managed to get away right before it would've pounded into me. With just a glance, I could see that it had turned around, heading toward me again, hoping to trample me before I even got up.

I rolled to the side, evading it once more.

The fusion pokemon roared.

Feeling a rush of wind from above, I looked up to see Pidgeot fly by, diving toward the fusion pokemon, her body surrounded by a blue aura. Sky attack.

She struck the fusion pokemon, which growled as it stumbled backward. It quickly straightened itself, pounding its fist against its shield before stepping forward to let out another roar.

Pidgeot returned to Soledad's side, unfazed by the threat.

The fusion pokemon switched its red eyes between us, releasing more snorts and growls, but making no further movements. Waiting.

I could feel coldness wash across my stomach. Tension. At any moment, the fusion would rush forward, and with the kind of speed it had…the dodging we'd been doing had only been successful through luck. I looked at Drew; he had managed to return Flygon safely to his pokeball before any more damage could be done to him, and now he was fingering a different one. I looked at Harley, who reached for one of his own. Soledad was waiting for the chance to strike with Pidgeot. Lionel already had a pokeball in hand. I was tempted to follow their example.

But I also knew that if we made any quick movements, it would possibly provoke the fusion into charging. If it did that, none of us could do anything fast enough to stop it from slamming into someone.

My heart skipped a beat when I heard more hissing. More growling. Coming from all around us. Coming from above us.

Slowly, I looked up.

More fusion pokemon were coming from the corners of the room, emerging from their hiding places amongst the seating levels. Either they had always been there, waiting for the right time to ambush us. Or…they had been called from outside by the charging fusion's loud roars.

I struggled to stay calm. They were all just like the special fusions that had attacked me at the train station. Ones that were part lickitung. Their tongues, hanging from their mouths like whips, dripped with saliva as they clung onto the stadium's walls with their deep claws.

My gaze fell on the emergency doors. We had two options – try to fight the fusions off, or make a run for it and hope that the charger wasn't as fast as it was when we did something it hadn't been expecting.

There was no way we could fight this horde and survive.

We had to run.

I knew I couldn't speak and tell this to Drew and the others. But, with their own eyes flashing toward the emergency doors, I knew that they had the same idea that I did.

Without warning, I made the first move, and took off for the doors.

The charger roared. The lasher fusions heeded its voice, jumping down from the walls, their tongues snapping around. I felt one slide around my leg, its touch cold and slimy, and it pulled back to where I slipped, landing on my front. I hissed a curse, slamming the heel of my other foot into the lasher's tongue. Whimpering in pain, it receded, and I took that chance to get back on my feet. Their greatest weapon was their greatest weakness. That information was very useful right now.

Almost there, I thought. Harley was already at the door, keeping it open as Lionel and Soledad ran through.

Feeling my heart skip another beat, I turned around, searching for-

"I'm right here, May!" Drew said, his voice right by my ear, his warm touch on my arm. "Don't stop!"

I nodded and continued forward.

Until I heard the pounding. The ground shaking. The roar that was louder than any of the lashers'.

The charger.

I turned, catching only a glimpse of it and what it was doing.

It slammed its shield-like arm into the ground. The ground shook more violently. A large crack formed, stretching to our feet. The lashers pulled back. The ground began to split, creating a fissure, and before I could fathom what was happening, I was thrown back as the fissure expanded, blowing the ground apart.

I struggled to orient myself. Earthquake, and a powerful one at that. When my vision cleared, I noticed that Drew was across from me, on the other side of the fissure. He shook his head, not realizing that the charger-

My eyes widened.

The charger was heading straight toward him! It had used the earthquake attack as a method of separating us!

I rushed to my feet, ignoring the pain that came with it.

"Drew!" I called out, trying to get his attention. Trying to warn him. Trying to save him.

The charger roared, increasing its speed.

"No!" I screamed. "_Drew_!"

Everything else felt like slow motion.

I ran for Drew as fast as I could.

The charger did the same.

I jumped over the fissure.

The charger raised its shield arm.

Drew couldn't die! I wouldn't let him! All these years, and I was finally back in his arms. Back in his soft touch. Back in his scent. Back in his eyes. Those emerald-colored, dragon-like eyes.

And I was not going to lose him.

I grabbed Drew's shirt as I ran into him. I pushed him forward right as the charger would've slammed into him.

An excruciating pain engulfed my arm, and then the rest of my body. I was thrown back from the charger's hit, and I felt myself crash into the ground – as if I'd been airborne.

Fogginess clouded my vision. All I could feel was pain. All I could taste was blood. A faint voice called my name. It grew louder.

A figure rushed to my side, looming over me. Soft fingers brushed my cheek, and the figure's emerald eyes glowed bright with fear.

"May!" Drew called out. "May, answer me!"

I tried. But I couldn't. No words would come. I couldn't even feel if my mouth opened or not.

Darkness began to overtake my vision.

"Why did you do that?!" Drew asked, his voice cracking. "That was so stupid!"

"Because…" I said, finally getting out the words. "Because _I…I _need you."

Shock. It covered his face now.

And then everything went black.

* * *

When I woke up, it was in a bed I didn't recognize. I leaned forward, grunting as the muscles all over my arm stung in protest. I looked at it. Black and blue bruises covered most of the skin from wrist to shoulder. I frowned, trying to piece together what had happened.

The room I was in looked like a hotel room – with all the usual services that came with a hotel room. It didn't look like the hotel rooms back by the contest hall. I put a hand to my head – the hand that wasn't sore – and tried to orient myself.

The door opened.

I looked over, relief washing through me at the person who'd just come in.

"May…" Drew said, his tone sounding both worried and relieved. He made his way to my bedside. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," was all I said. "Wha-what happened? Where are we?"

Drew sighed. "After the incident at the contest hall where you…" He shook his head. "After you got hurt, the earthquake that the charger started wound up bringing down the whole building. Carrying you, I managed to catch up to Harley, Soledad, and Lionel, and we escaped into the alleyways. The stadium fell – we could hear it and see it, I mean – and I assumed it brought all the fusion pokemon with it, because nothing was chasing us after that."

"Wow…"

"Anyway, we found this abandoned hotel, so we're using it as sanctuary. The others and I have been keeping watch while you rest here."

I looked back down at my arm. At the bruises. "I don't suppose we have any medical supplies that could patch this up?"

Gently, Drew's fingers brushed my damaged arm. I winced, but showed no resistance when he grabbed it, his soft touch caressing my skin. My heart skipped a beat. I shivered beneath his touch.

He let out a warm chuckle. "You're still beautiful, May. You've always been."

I met his eyes at that. "Drew…about what I said back there at the stadium…I-"

He shook his head, standing up.

"Come on," was the only thing he said, flashing me a weak smile, "Harley, Soledad, and Lionel will want to know that you're awake."

* * *

"May!"

I was relieved to feel one of Harley's warm hugs when Drew led me to the hotel's lobby. He made sure to avoid my damaged arm, too. I laughed and returned the embrace as much as I could.

"You really had us worried there," Harley said as he pulled away. "I could tell you nearly gave Drew a heart attack, three strokes, and a hernia."

I looked at Drew, who only rolled his eyes.

"How's your arm?" Soledad asked, coming forward. "It looks like that's the thing that's probably hurting you the most."

I looked at my arm. "I'm just amazed it's not broken."

"Well, you didn't get hit full on, it seems. I think the charger just tapped you."

"Tapped?" I winced. "If this is tapping, then I don't want to know what a full hit would've caused."

"Hopefully," Lionel said, crossing his arms as he got up from his chair, "we won't get a chance to find out." He smiled at me. "Nice to have you back, May. You've been out for a few hours."

I returned the smile, though it quickly faded. "When are we heading out to the Citadel?"

"We shouldn't be that much farther from it." Lionel shrugged. "So, we'll head out tomorrow. Give us all more time to heal up. We're gonna need it."

I nodded. I turned to look at Drew. I arched a brow.

He was gone.

I looked toward the stairs. He was climbing them, and he soon disappeared around the corner.

"He's probably going to get that sleep he's been missing," Harley said. "You should, too. A few hours isn't enough."

I met his eyes. They were deep. And I knew where he was getting.

But, he said nothing more. He rubbed my back soothingly before following Soledad and Lionel.

I looked back at the stairs.

I sighed deeply.

And I made my way after Drew.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Next chap's gonna be fun to write. XD


	15. Shadow of the Day

Hey peoples!

Well, this is probably going to be the last chap for a while. I'm writing a fic with Samia-chan, so I'm gonna be focusing on that. XD

Anyway, for this chapter, I might be pushing on rating boundaries again. I honestly think there's only one or two lines that could be M-rated, but even those can be debated.

Ah well. Enjoy the read.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 15: Shadow of the Day**

* * *

I stood in front of Drew's door, contemplating on knocking.

I had followed him up the stairs and into the hallway that broke off into the various staying rooms the hotel provided. He disappeared into a room before I could get his attention; shutting the door and filling the deserted hallway with a light creak that reminded me where I was and what I was doing.

I closed my eyes, bringing my hand back down to my side.

Our night together before the attacks happened…Memories of it flashed through my head. I had walked into his room after he informed me earlier that he would leave the door unlocked. We had talked, he had confessed, and before I knew it I was kissing him, ripping off clothes, and giving myself to him as if I didn't have anything to hide or regret. No shame. No hate. Nothing. I had forgotten all the reasons why I was angry with him that night. The only things I had thought about were the feelings that had gone untold for a decade.

That night, there had only been us, because that was all I needed.

Him. Andrew Trandafir. Drew.

And maybe it was time I finally told him all of this.

I opened my eyes.

Instead of knocking, I reached for the doorknob. I turned. It clicked. Unlocked.

I smiled and opened the door.

* * *

The hotel room looked similar to the one I had woken up in. Nothing special stuck out from the usual arrangement of furniture. Drew hadn't picked this one randomly, though; the rooms prior to this one were damaged too much by whatever chaos had happened here before we came. This one appeared satisfactory. I mean, at least it still had its door attached.

Drew stood by a window that overlooked a portion of Enfer - and a ravaged portion, most likely. However, Drew wasn't gazing out the window. He was facing me, arms crossed and an amused smile on his face.

"You fail at sneaking, you know that?" he said.

"I wasn't sneaking."

He shook his head and chuckled. "You were following me, weren't you?"

"Not secretly. I tried to get your attention."

"Probably better to talk in here anyway," he said, shrugging. "Hallways that are half falling apart aren't really attractive for conversations." He paused. "Anyway…what did you want, May?"

I walked forward. I could see the hesitance in his eyes. I stopped, not wanting to get too close with that in mind. "You know what I want, Drew."

He shifted, but said nothing.

"You remember what I said back there at the arena," I said. "_I_ remember what I said-"

"You were in a daze, May. You weren't paying attention to what you were saying."

I frowned. "Drew, that was one of the few moments where I knew exactly what I wanted to say. What needed to be said. I wasn't lying; being in a daze didn't screw up my brain so that whatever came out of my mouth was just a couple of words influenced by what we've been through. I…I meant what I said, Drew. I meant it all – every one of those three words. They all had meaning, and you damn well know that."

Drew smiled weakly. "Do I? All I remember are the words you said after our night together. That us doing what we did was just a big mistake."

"I know what I said then." I sighed. "And it was all a mistake – not what we did, but what I thought. I was just so surprised. The morals I grew up following clashed with the feelings I felt toward you – the feelings I felt since we were teenagers and you left." I chuckled nervously. "I was mad at you for leaving, but also glad that you came back. That I could see you again. Just be with you again. My brain was still mad even with that night, while my heart was telling me to drop these grudges and keep moving forward, continuing with our relationship. But I was stupid, and I took the wrong road." I smiled and chuckled again. Though, this time, it was soft – not cracking. "In the end, I realized that your brain isn't always the thing that's holding all the intelligence."

Drew swallowed hard. "I…After our night and you ran, I was confused. I still loved you – nothing could change that – but I guess I understood your point of view. I tried to stay away after that and give you the room you needed. But…when this happened – the attack – I…I got scared." He shook his head. "Me? Scared? Wow, that does sound blasphemous."

"You got scared because of what might happen," I said.

Drew nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to confront you. I wanted us to talk about this. But then I thought that if I got close to you…and something happened…" He groaned. "I didn't want to think about that. But I couldn't hold myself back. It's hard to forget the one you loved – definitely when you still love them."

I inhaled deeply. Then exhaled. "I'm scared of the same things, Drew. But then I realized that in moments like this you have to take the tauros by the horns. Staying away from you is only going to make me want you more. If something does happen, the regret will be deeper – more painful – because the only things I'll think about are the things that were never said. Never done. All those things I wished we did do before this happened.

"I spent ten years away from you. I spent ten years alone, my heart trying to cry out to someone else, but in the end only acknowledging you. After our night together and I ran off, I felt even more alone, because even when we were still teenagers and still coordinating, you had always been the one who gave me the inspiration I needed. The strength. The courage. Trying to forget that would make all those good memories fade away in vain."

I walked closer to him. "I mean," I added, glancing back at the closed door, "a good friend once told me that the strongest weapon against fear is realizing that you're not alone."

"May…" Drew murmured.

I looked up at him. "With you, I have never felt alone. It's time I stopped trying to forget that…"

With that, I grabbed Drew by the shoulders, pulled him forward, and kissed him.

Immediately his arms wrapped around me. He pulled me closer, lips molding to fit mine. His scent filled my noise; weakness washed over my legs. The hairs of his goatee tickled my chin, his bangs caressing my forehead. His tongue ran over mine, and I stifled a groan.

Arceus, he tasted so good. Just like the night we'd been together.

My fingers brushed through his hair. Soft, even with everything we've been through. His warm touch ran up my arm – my damaged arm. I stifled a wince, but he seemed to still sense my discomfort. He gently grabbed my arm, leading it away from his shoulder and back down to my side, his lips never leaving mine in the process.

I pulled away and smirked. "So caring, even when I'm testing your self-control."

Drew grinned. "I know. I'm shocked, too."

I chuckled and brushed a finger along his face. His cheek. His lips. His jaw line. His goatee. I inhaled deeply, taking in more of his scent, and I shivered.

"Be careful, May," he said. "You look a little faint."

"It was always hard to keep myself standing around you."

Drew closed his eyes as my finger continued to caress his skin. "Mmm. I've always had that effect on the female population."

"Arrogant jackass."

He laughed.

I looked down at his body – the places where bare skin was exposed. Smudges of dirt covered him, accumulated by how many times we had dodged fusion attacks. Dried blood lingered on cuts obtained hours to days ago. I looked at my own arms. No better – even on the one that wasn't bruised.

"Need a shower," I said.

Drew arched an eyebrow. "Are you talking to me or yourself?"

"Both. Does the water still work here?"

"I think so. We could take turns, I suppose."

I smirked at him. "Why? A shower can fit two people."

Drew blinked. I could tell he was trying to suppress the blush that had begun to appear on his face, but he was failing. Hard.

I kept my smirk, took his hand, and led him toward the bathroom.

* * *

We came back out two hours later stumbling over our own feet, wrapped only in towels that were losing their hold the more we kissed – the more our hands explored, the more we touched, the more we felt. Drew brought his lips to my neck, one arm going around my waist to keep me in place as his other hand trailed down my back. I almost dropped the towel covering me, though at this point I was far from caring. My thigh slid up his side, my lips lingering on his shoulder.

Drew groaned into my neck. I was definitely testing his self-control now, and I knew that he was going to lose. Because so was I.

I inhaled again. His scent filled my nose. Now, it was stronger than before; the smell of ruins no longer clung to his skin. His hair was still damp beneath my fingertips. Roses and mint. That was Drew. No one else.

I didn't pull away, even when I felt my back touch the soft comforter of the bed. Instead, I brought my lips back to Drew's, feeling my legs grow weak when his fingers began to linger on my chest…

I pulled away from him. I needed air, unfortunately.

"Why, May, you're all flushed," he said, grinning.

"Gee, I wonder why." I examined his face. "You're no different, handsome. I gotta say, the red doesn't match with your…greenness."

He laughed, still leaning over me, our towels still wrapped around us. Damn. "Can you blame me? I've never been with a woman who could provoke such a reaction before."

"Mmm. I've always had that effect on the male population."

Drew leaned down and kissed me. "Touché."

We moved deeper onto the bed. Drew was still on top, his bare arms caging me in. I brushed my fingers along them, never taking my eyes off his as he brought his lips to mine.

It wasn't long after that before the towels were finally removed, tossed away with unimportance – just like the world around us. Right now, there were no thoughts about the fusion pokemon scouting the city beyond this hotel. Right now, there were no thoughts about Kruismara. Or escaping. Or stopping him. Or about the future – about anything that could happen later. All that mattered was us. All that mattered to me was him.

And I felt no regret as I forgot everything that wasn't Andrew "Drew" Trandafir.

I explored his body. I inhaled his scent. I tasted his lips; it lingered on my tongue. I gave myself to him just as I had done that previous night. No walls or regrets. No monsters or pasts. No broken promises or responsibilities that were more important than what was going on with us. No. Not now.

Sweat ran down Drew's arms as they continued to cage me in, providing a sense of security that nothing else could give. He leaned down, kissing me before leaning his forehead against mine.

"I've needed you for so long, May," he whispered. "For ten years I've tried to push that away. But I can't. Not anymore. I regret running away ten years ago. So much time has been lost."

Tightening my hold on him, I flipped us over. I was on top now, leaning over him, looking down into his eyes. Those emerald, dragon-like eyes that he had had even when he was a teenager.

I returned my forehead to his.

"Then let's start making up for it now."

I lowered my hips toward Drew's, taking him inside of me, merging us as one. Drew groaned, arching back, my name escaping his lips. I buried my nose into his hair.

And I smiled.

* * *

"Remember that time we got trapped on Mirage Island with all those wynaut?"

I looked up at Drew, whose eyes eventually flashed with recognition.

"Oh yeah," he said, smiling goofily, "and we were trying to get some liechi berries or something?"

"I think so." I laid my head back down onto his bare chest, listening to his heartbeat. "Instead, we wound up falling down a waterfall and getting rescued by those wynaut."

"Memories…I'm glad we've kept them."

I smiled. "Yeah."

Drew and I just laid there, my head on his chest and his hand rubbing soothing circles along my back. Our lovemaking had exhausted us, but not enough to drift us off to sleep. We relaxed; tangled in bed sheets and reminiscing over adventures we had had as kids.

"Remember that time during the Kanto Grand Festival?" Drew asked, chuckling. "When Harley dressed up like you?"

I blinked. And then groaned. "Ugh, don't remind me of that. That's one of the few images I don't like keeping in mind when I'm talking to him."

Drew grinned at me. "Memories. Sweet memories."

"Ha ha."

Eventually, my brows loosened. I frowned. "He's changed so much, though. We all have."

"Yeah, but we're still as dysfunctional a family as we were back then. Probably even more dysfunctional than Harley can handle. Poor him. He's probably contemplating suicide."

I rolled my eyes, stifling a smile. "Harley's too stubborn to die. Not to mention he'd drive Arceus up the wall."

"That he would," Drew said, kissing my forehead. "I love you."

I paused, looking up at him. His emerald eyes were warm, and I returned his smile.

"I love you too."

It felt so good to say that.

"Nice to know. You should get some sleep, May," Drew then said. "You're going to need it for when we reach the Citadel."

"As long as you do, too." I snuggled closer to him, if that was even possible. "Besides, you make a good pillow."

"I'm not going anywhere, May. Not anymore."

With those words in mind, I closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Hehe. I thought I'd provide the CS chapter to keep you going for a while until I decide what happens from here.

Anyway, I'm out. See you next update!


	16. Moving Forward

Hey peoples!

So much for a hiatus. With school on the brink of ending, I have some free time. Thus, I wrote the next chapter to YNA.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 16: Moving Forward**

* * *

Lionel spread his map of Enfer across the tabletop. He pointed at a laboratory-like structure that stood tall not too far from the Enfer City Contest Hall. The Citadel. He looked at Drew, Harley, and Soledad. Then, he looked at me.

"According to this," he said, "the Citadel is a few more streets north of here. We can cut through these alleyways" – he gestured to a section of thin passages drawn on the paper, where multiple buildings had been constructed right next to one another in an effort to widen the streets that passed through them – "to sneak around any fusions that might be scouting the main intersections. From what I can tell of the drawing of the Citadel, the laboratory sits in a garden-like area, or some sort of park that's fancily designed."

"Fancily designed?" Drew frowned and shook his head. He leaned over the map. "Another way of saying it's big and a premises a lot of fusions will be searching."

"Exactly," Lionel said. "If we travel through the alleyways, at least we'll have a chance of attracting less attention than we have to. But, when we get to the Citadel, we're probably going to have some 'obstacles', and I can't really predict how many."

I crossed my arms. "So, we're going to have to fight."

Lionel nodded. "Most likely. But, as I said, it's still just an assumption." He gazed at the map again. "For all we know, Verdana might have her own 'defenses' holding off any fusions that have approached the Citadel."

"A heavy reinforced exterior is probably one," Harley said, letting out a short chuckle as he gestured at the map.

I looked down at the image for the Citadel, which seemed semi-cartoonish with how tall armor-plated walls surrounded it from each side. I arched a brow, because I couldn't shake off the feeling that the picture wouldn't exaggerate the actual building's appearance. I hoped there was an easy way to get inside.

"Alright," Lionel said as he rolled up the map, "we won't know anything until we get there. If we have to fight…we will, but we'll be able to observe everything better from the scene itself. Then, we'll come up with a plan."

Feeling someone brush my hand, I turned and met Drew's eyes. He gestured toward a corner that broke off into a hallway. I nodded at him, following him around the corner to where we were hidden away from Lionel, Harley, and Soledad.

"May," he said, his voice soft.

Before he could say anything else, I pushed myself to him and kissed him. He didn't stumble from the sudden action, and instead brought his hands up to cup my face. I pulled away slowly, where he then leaned in and brushed my nose with his, growing a small smile, our foreheads touching.

Images from last night flashed through my mind, provoking feelings that made me shiver all over again. When Harley had banged on our room's door an hour ago and woken us up, we both knew why. But, I didn't want to get up – I didn't want to move out of Drew's arms; his warm touch that provided security scarce in situations like these, caresses that reminded me of how much I loved him now and how much I had loved him ten years ago.

However, we had to escape our world and reenter the real one. Down here, we had a job to do. Until Verdana was saved, until Kruismara was stopped, until the fusion pokemon had no chance of ever reaching the surface and continuing the chaos they caused here, there would be no time to permanently settle down, to elongate these temporary moments and redeem them everlasting.

So, Drew and I thrived in one of these temporary moments, before we all threw ourselves into hell to ensure a future – to ensure that 'temporary' could be continued.

As if he read my mind, Drew kissed me again. Soft. Meaningful. His forehead never left mine. Our eyes were closed, but they never broke away.

"Promise me something," he whispered.

I didn't move. "Anything."

"If we get out of here, if all of this is ever solved…marry me."

I pulled away from him, staring into his eyes. Emotion coursed through them – passion, dedication, _commitment_. I brushed my finger along his cheek. His jaw was firm, serious. What I saw in his face – his expression – reminded me so much of when he was a teenager, or a determined child. It reminded me of the past – of memories that flourished after being dead for so long. The willingness to spend the rest of his life making up for the ten years we had been apart – every single second – showed in his eyes.

What I saw in his face was the real Drew – the Drew I had known when we first met as kids. The Drew I had known when we were teenagers. The Drew that I realized that, after ten years, was still here, wanting to come back, and ready to do anything to have me let him.

_My _Drew.

I smiled. "You mean _when _we get out of here."

Slowly, he mirrored my smile, and I leaned in to kiss him again.

* * *

The alleyways Lionel had pointed out seemed like a labyrinth – pathways that twisted and turned around multiple corners, its atmosphere darkened by the buildings that shaped them. I found it ironic that we had decided to take this route, seeing as how it seemed like a better environment for fusion pokemon than the wide, brighter streets we had caught sight of them patrolling before we entered the closest alleyway we could find. I couldn't complain, though, as, from what I could see past strewn trash cans and tipped dumpsters, everything was clear.

The fusions weren't stalking the alleyways because they didn't think any prey would.

I frowned. Despite that fact, I knew that it wouldn't be long before the fusion pokemon moved to areas like these. So, I nodded at Lionel, and he led the way for us through the maze of alleyways, using his map as a guide.

It wasn't long before we reached the garden-like entrance that led to the Citadel; the alleyway opening up into it like a small back door. Like the picture on the map, the Citadel was large, having both the attributes of a laboratory and those of a fortress, consisting of multiple floors and no windows. However, it didn't have tall walls of steel surrounding it like the map had suggested; but the entire exterior of the structure did flash silver, reflecting its surroundings and reminding me of armor plating.

Before the Citadel, the opening garden barely held any references of what it was before the attack. The stone statues that made up now broken fountains had been shattered into pieces, tossed around like missing jigsaws that made up a puzzle no one remembered how to put together. Short walls of shrubs ran along various cobblestone pathways, both features torn up and flattened into the ground. The various sections of flowers that grew right beside them had suffered the same fate, and the grass that covered the ground were burnt in so many places that there was more black than green among the entire field.

And, as everyone had expected, multiple fusion pokemon scouted the garden. Some searched for prey, while others were trying to break into the Citadel. They smashed their claws against the plated wall of what I assumed to be the main door, but their attempts were fruitless. They hissed, launching attacks, never giving up. Determined, and hungry.

I shivered and leaned back against the wall of the alleyway.

Lionel looked around the corner. His brows loosened, but his frown stayed firm. "There's not as many fusion pokemon as I thought there was going to be."

"Is there anything to hint that Verdana's in there?" Drew asked.

"Apart from the fact that fusions are trying to get inside?"

Soledad shook her head. "They could just be curious. Maybe they're assuming someone's in there. I mean, what if Verdana already left? What if she's…"

"No," I said. "She's not gone, and she's not dead. Look."

I pointed at the tall poles that stuck out from the corners of the garden. On the top of each pole was what looked like security cameras. They all turned in different directions, very much working, as they recorded the scene before them and sent it back to someone inside the Citadel.

Lionel nodded. "That takes care of any doubt on Verdana." He looked at me. "But how are we going to get in? It looks like the door needs to be opened from the inside."

I eyed the cameras again. "We need to get Verdana's attention. When she opens the door, we run inside quickly so she can shut it and prevent any fusions from following us in."

"And how do we do that?" Harley asked, his eyebrow arched.

"Be seen by the cameras, of course."

Drew crossed his arms. "But even then it might take some time for Verdana to respond. We're going to have to distract and lead the fusion pokemon away from the Citadel so she can open the door."

"Great." Harley sighed. "So, we're fighting?"

"Unless you can think of an alternative."

Harley looked at Drew and grinned. "You can always throw roses at the fusions and make them sneeze to death."

"Roses don't work like that. Also, shut up."

I stifled a laugh.

"It's best we release our pokemon now," Lionel said, holding back a smile. "Tell them what we're up against. Just choose a few to fight with, though, so we can keep track of them out on the field."

We nodded and did just that. I released my blaziken and blastoise, deciding that having rivaling types could cover more ground. Drew got out his flygon and absol, Soledad and Harley agreed with his cacturne and her pidgeot, and Lionel's armaldo and metagross were already prepared to go by the time I finished explaining the situation to my own pokemon.

As everyone else got ready, I felt someone brush my hand. However, it wasn't Drew this time, but instead Harley. His eyes were soft, and he grew a smile to match it.

"I didn't get to say this before," he said, "so I'll say it now. I'm happy for you May. For both you and Drew."

I returned his smile. This morning, when Harley had woken up Drew and I, it was evident that he already suspected something had happened between us, probably because we had both come out of the very same room. Together. Needless to say, when Drew and I emerged into the lobby of the hotel, smiling at one another, it didn't take much longer to confirm Harley's suspicions – and for everyone else to catch on as well.

"May Maple and Drew Trandafir," Harley said, speaking in a firm, announcer's voice, "two of the top coordinators across the pokemon world, have finally gotten together after ten long years of separation. Sixteen years, actually, if you count the rivalry they've both been holding since they were ten. How exactly did they spend their first night officially together? Find out all the juicy details at eleven!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not telling you anything."

Harley pouted. "Damn. You're no fun."

At that, I grinned. "That's not what Drew said."

"Oh snap!"

Harley and I laughed. Afterward, he pulled me into a hug.

"Really," he whispered. "Congratulations."

I closed my eyes and snuggled closer to him. His hold was warm, caring. It contradicted the way he treated me when I was ten. After we made a truce during our coordinating tour through Johto, though, he and I spent more time together, growing closer. Eventually, he became like another father to me, showing me a version of himself no one other than Soledad knew existed.

And being down here reminded me of how much he and I had gone through together – from the past to the present.

"Thanks," I said. "For everything."

He pulled away, smiled again, and kissed me on the side of the head.

I looked at Blaziken and Blastoise. They nodded at me. I walked forward, passed the others, and gazed out at the Citadel and the horde of fusion pokemon that patrolled the garden before it.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Blaziken! Flamethrower!"

Blaziken growled, lunged forward and out of the alleyway, and opened her beak, shooting a long beam of fire right at a nearby fusion pokemon that was about to cross us.

The fusion, thrown back from the hit, crashed into the still-standing base of a fountain, spewing the water that still ran from the jets underneath. It cried out, its voice echoing throughout the entire area. Other fusion pokemon perked up their heads, snarling as they watched us emerge from our hiding place, our pokemon ready to push back any of them if they approached.

But that didn't stop them from trying.

The fusions came forward, bearing their fangs.

"Absol!" Drew yelled. "Night slash!"

Absol reared his head back, the scythe on his head glowing purple. He then slashed it across the chest of a fusion that would've jumped on us, pushing it back into a group of others that were right behind it. Other fusions jumped over said group and lunged for us, claws outstretched.

"Split up!" I said. "Get in front of the cameras!"

Without hesitation, I ran to the left, heading for the camera that scanned the grounds of its corner. Drew followed me; while Lionel, Soledad, and Harley headed for the camera in the opposite corner.

Blastoise, guarding our backs, fired a hydro pump at a winged fusion as it tried to dive toward us. Blaziken covered our fronts, pushing her way through three fusions attempting an ambush, kicking them in the jaws and sending them flying. Flygon and Absol ran ahead to ensure our clear view in front of the camera.

When Drew and I got there, I waved frantically in front of the camera. The camera continued to move from side to side.

Then, it stopped.

It seemed to focus on us, as if someone inside the Citadel really was controlling it.

I looked back at the Citadel, where the armor plating that covered the door began to recede, allowing the door to rise.

As Blaziken kicked another fusion that tried to approach, I motioned at Harley, Soledad, and Lionel on the other side of the garden. I pointed at the rising door, and Harley nodded.

Drew and I grouped our pokemon and headed for the door, mirroring Harley, Soledad, and Lionel on the opposite side. We had managed to pull away the fusions trying to claw their way inside the Citadel when we had made our entrance. Now, all we had to do was get there, and Verdana would close the door right behind us.

I ran. I ran as fast as my legs would allow. Drew stayed with my speed, as did our pokemon. I looked back.

A loud roar. A charger rushed ahead of the horde of fusions chasing us. It pounded its shield-like arm. Then, it charged forward.

I dodged it as it came by. When it's back was exposed, I ordered Blaziken to attack.

She opened her beak, firing a flamethrower right at the charger's unshielded flesh. It roared again, but this time its tone was high – cracking – as it fell onto the ground. It didn't get up again, and I knew that we had found a way to defeat those types of fusions.

I looked back again. Lashers stuck out from the crowd of regular fusion scouts, but their inability to run fast showed in how they lagged behind.

Eyes back to the Citadel; we were almost there. I could see a lighted hallway through the door-

The ground shook. I stumbled over, and Drew backtracked to help me up. We both looked forward, and I felt the blood drain from my face.

Tall enough to at least rival a train, a new type of fusion rushed forward, pushing scouts – regular fusions – with its wide arms, flicking them away as if they were nothing but bumps in its path. It was humanoid, but mostly hunched over to where it used its claws to help it move. It was covered in a fur – a dark-colored fur – that reminded me of houndoom, spikes protruding from various places of its body, giving it a demonic appearance that matched such a comparison. A dog-like snout lifted up to sniff at the air, its lips then curling back to reveal sharp, oversized fangs, and it looked back down at me as its red eyes flashed.

"Chargers, lashers, scouts…" I muttered, amazed that I could get the words out. "What do we call this one?"

"Behemoth…" Drew said, swallowing hard.

I could tell that he was just as scared as I was. Too scared to move.

The behemoth growled, smashing the ground with its fist. The other fusions stepped back, as if respecting it and letting it take over. Even the fusion pokemon had ranks, I thought, watching as the behemoth came forward toward us.

However, before it could get too close, it let out a cry as a green blur rushed in from its side and jumped on its back. The behemoth dove forward, trying to reach back and grab the nuisance, but the attacker managed to dodge its claws, instead slamming its needled arms into the creature's flesh continuously.

"Cacturne!" I said.

As if on cue, Harley came in beside me, Soledad and Lionel right behind him.

"These fusions just keep getting bigger by the minute," Harley said. He looked back at the door, which was still open.

We weren't much farther.

He turned his eyes back to Cacturne. He didn't say anything. Instead, he stood there, staring as his pokemon attacked the behemoth. Was he…waiting?

As soon as the behemoth leaned forward again to reach for Cacturne, Harley called out: "Now!"

Cacturne ran along the behemoth's back, stepping on its head and causing it to lower to the ground again. In the split second he had, Cacturne jumped off the fusion's scalp and headed toward us.

The behemoth stood back up, disorientated. Eventually, its eyes turned back to us, and it roared. As if it was a command, the fusions that waited behind it charged, like an army following a general.

"Go!" I ordered, getting up and heading for the door.

We ran for the Citadel. When we reached the door, we jumped inside. Slowly, the door began to close behind us, and I bit my lip as the behemoth and other fusions continued onward, getting closer and closer to the door with each second.

"Close faster," I mumbled. "Close faster. Close faster. Close faster!"

Answering my prayers, the door fully closed right before the behemoth reached in for us. The door vibrated as dozens of fusions crashed into it, their roars sounding loud even through the muffling plating. Like before, they were trapped outside, unable to get in through the Citadel's armored exterior.

When it all stopped – when the only sounds I could hear were the fusions' frustrated growls – I fell back and thanked Arceus.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Woot! Woot!

I love the idea of May and Harley having a father-daughter relationship. :D

And, May and Drew are engaged! Well, kind of engaged. Lol. XD

See you guys next chap!


	17. Chimera

Hey peoples!

Stomach viruses suck. Don't get them.

Anyway, enjoy the next chap.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Chimera**

* * *

"Professor Verdana?"

My voice echoed throughout the hallway that led away from the Citadel's main door. Every inch of the tiled flooring was illuminated from the bright lights above, clashing with the 'dark' atmosphere that existed outside. I could still hear the frustrated growls of the fusion pokemon from behind the door; though, as before, their voices were muffled, as they dragged their claws along the door's armored plating, emitting a screech that made me cringe at first but slowly died off the further we walked down the hallway.

I looked to the side. The walls were colored a plain white, matching with the floor. Every now and then we passed by a door that led into another room, and we searched each of those rooms for signs of Verdana. However, all we discovered was the abundant amount of small separate laboratories filled with dormant machines and chemicals in glass tubes and vials. I didn't bother to wonder what it was all for, as it just proved that the Citadel wasn't just a large laboratory by itself, but rather a series of them.

"Verdana?" I called out again.

No response.

I frowned. The entire place seemed deserted, but I knew that someone had to be in here to open the main door. Still, my stomach churned with worry, and I contemplated on releasing Blaziken back out again. We had returned our pokemon to our pokeballs to let them get as much rest as they could before the next encounter with fusions.

We stopped when we reached an intersection. Three of the routes – including ours – were hallways leading further down and probably to more laboratories. The opening to the left of us, though, was different; it broke off into a large room where the soft purring of a machine could be heard – one that was turned on.

I nodded at Drew and turned the corner.

The soft purring belonged to what looked like a medium-sized computer and console, and I realized that it was the computer used to monitor the Citadel's exterior from the cameras outside when, on its screen, I caught glimpses of the various fusion pokemon that stalked the garden. It also seemed to be showing other parts of the city, examining as much of Enfer as it could - the entire predicament we were up against.

Meanwhile, in front of the computer, watching it, stood-

My eyes widened.

"Professor Verdana!"

The figure jumped in place, and then turned her head. A smile crossed her lips.

"May!"

Verdana made her way over. Her smile grew larger when she noticed I wasn't alone.

"Drew, Harley, Soledad, and Lionel," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I was seriously worried when I saw you all out there." She looked back at me. "Then I realized what you were doing, and…well, I'm just thankful that you're all safe and at least something went right since this whole thing began."

I looked at her. Her brown hair was still curled and it still reached past her shoulders, only a few ends out of place from – evidently – stress. Her skin was pale, her eyes not as bright as they were before the attacks happened, though the fact that she was still wearing her signature white lab coat contrasted with the dark hues of her gaze. She didn't seem hurt, which filled me with a sense of comfort – the Citadel was definitely a reliable source of security.

"What are you all doing here, anyway?" Verdana asked, her tone reminding me of a worried mother's. "You should've headed to the southern districts. That's where the escape pod stations are."

I shook my head. "We heard that you were here and that you were searching for a way to stop the attacks. We came to help…if that's really what you're doing."

Verdana went silent. Her brows lowered and her frown tightened. She sighed again, though not out of relief. She turned and walked toward the computer that monitored the outside world and leaned forward on the console with her arms.

"I am trying to stop the attacks," she said. "But I can't…" Her shoulders dropped. "I don't even know where these things came from, or how they're…so powerful. The bigger monster has had every source of firepower we have down here thrown against it, but it hasn't been enough. We're running out of ideas, and I can't think of any more." She ran a hand through her hair. "So many people and pokemon have died since these attacks happened. I feel so damn guilty. I invited these people to live down here to try a new way of life, and I even sponsored the Grand Festival that brought you all as well, but then this happened. I'm so sorry, I…I can't even begin to describe it. Innocent soldiers are fighting and dying out there as we speak, and I'm confining myself in here trying to think of a plan that probably won't work. I should be the one out there in front of the armies. None of this would've happened if it weren't for me. Enfer City was a mistake."

Drew stepped forward. "We don't know where this monster or these smaller fusions came from. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they came from hell itself, or if they were created by an organization lusting for power. All I know is that these things are here to kill – to destroy. Even if you hadn't created the city, they probably would've attacked another city on the surface. Right now, all we can do is stop them before they move on to somewhere else and continue this destruction."

"We have to ensure that it doesn't evolve to that," Harley said. "We have to stop them. Now. While they're still down here."

Verdana turned to me. She shook her head. "We have no contact with the surface – we lost it all shortly after the attacks. We're running out of supplies, and even if survivors who have been evacuated back to Lilycove tried getting help, it would take a while for anything to answer the call. We're losing this battle. It's up to us to turn the tables, but…I have nothing to work with. No information. I've been unable to capture one of the monsters for study."

"Listen," I said, "we might have information that can help. On our way to the southern districts we met a man who told us things about the attacks – about the monsters. His name was El-"

Before I could finish, the ground shook. I stumbled, but managed to regain my balance. I looked behind me, where the crash that followed seemed to emit from one of the hallways.

"Damn it!" Verdana hissed. "The monsters might've found a way inside." She looked at her computer, on which all of the camera screens had fallen into static. "They took out my cameras, too."

Drew frowned. "I'll head down there and check it out."

"I'll go with you," I said, and then eyed everyone else. "Harley, Soledad, and Lionel, stay here and monitor the other hallways!"

"I'll try to get the cameras back online," Verdana said.

I nodded, and followed Drew out of the room and down the hallway opposite from it.

* * *

Drew and I ran down the hallway, passing empty room after empty room, pausing every now and then to search one and make sure a fusion wasn't hiding in it. We didn't find anything, nor did the loud crash from before erupt again. When I heard Harley's voice call for us at the other end of the hallway, his words confirmed that he and the others hadn't encountered anything either.

"False alarm?" Drew asked.

"I guess so," I said. "The fusions might be trying to get in from every corner now. Best stay on alert."

Drew nodded.

We began to make our way back to Verdana. I stopped in place, though, when I heard a soft purring sound emit from the room beside us – something we had missed during our rush. It sounded like the same noise that emitted from Verdana's computer, but I chose to be safe than sorry. I looked at Drew and gestured at the room. He nodded again and followed me to it.

I pushed open the heavy door that had blocked our view from it, just enough for us to squeeze through; a numbered console was on the door's handle, as if it was supposed to be locked. The room was dark; the overhead lights turned off, but against one of the room's walls sat a computer larger than Verdana's. It illuminated the floor with an eerie blue glow, as the computer's monitor was on.

As Drew searched the room, I couldn't help but eye the computer. On its screen were a simple blue background and a few icons providing shortcuts to various programs whose names weren't familiar to me. Scientist stuff, I imagined. I was about to turn away and put it aside, when my eye caught sight of a peculiar icon in the top left corner.

Its picture was just a simple document, but that's not what had caught my attention. It was the name underneath it.

_Chimera Project_

I stared at it, the word 'chimera' running laps through my mind. If I remembered correctly, 'chimera' was a term for genetics. But, also, it was the name of a monstrous pokemon from mythology that consisted of parts from other different pokemon – like the tail of an arbok with the head and body of a luxray. Like…

My eyes widened.

Like fusions.

Immediately I took the mouse and clicked the icon. A screen came up seconds after, asking for a password.

I looked down and muttered a curse. Of course there was a password. There always was.

Password…password…I shook my head. What the hell was I doing? I was attempting to get into a – evidently – private program, but with the name I couldn't shake off this horrific feeling that filled my stomach the more I thought about it.

Password…

I closed my eyes, trying to think.

The words of Ellis Bane filled my head. I opened my eyes and blinked.

"The monster's name is the key to defeating him," I muttered.

I looked back at the monitor.

"The key…"

I began typing on the keyboard right below the monitor.

_K – R – U – I – S – M – A – R – A_

I hit 'enter' and the screen flashed. Green. Accepted. And with the words "Welcome, Katherine Verdana."

I nearly stumbled back when pictures flashed across the screen, like some sort of slideshow. One picture that came up lingered for a while. It showed a silhouette of what looked like a pokemon – a nidoking? – and began pointing out various body parts and what pokemon made up those body parts. When it then showed the size, my heart jumped as I realized who it was.

Kruismara.

The screen changed again with another picture. This one showed what looked like one of the smaller fusions – again, in silhouette form, but pointing out which attributes matched to which pokemon that consisted it. Small lines of data appeared by the figure – information about it. A lot. And it didn't seem to be for the cause of stopping them.

Another picture. This one showed a model of Enfer City. Then, the screen brought in the silhouette of Kruismara, marking various sections of the city. On the data that appeared by those sections, numbers were included. And images of Kruismara were placed on those numbers in an order – attack points, and the parts of the city he was to attack after the first, which were the northern districts.

The screen changed again. This time, it showed silhouettes of regular fusions, and directed them toward the city. They spread out like a disease, as if they didn't have a set attack plan. Data that appeared right by the model of Enfer confirmed that they were to head out shortly after Kruismara began the attack.

I felt faint. "No…" I said, fighting back tears.

The screen changed again. It was another silhouette of a regular fusion. Right beside it was a silhouette of an adult human being. The screen closed in on the jaws of the fusion, an animation showing how a liquid of some sort seemed to drip out from a few of the major fangs. Data on this liquid appeared right beside it. It contained properties that would have various effects on a non-fusion being who received it, like…through a bite.

"No…" I muttered again. I could already tell what was coming next.

The screen zoomed out, showing the silhouettes of the fusion and the human. The liquid from the fusion's teeth was directed toward the human, and the screen closed in on the human this time, showing how the liquid entered their bloodstream through a bite wound given by the fusion.

Again, the screen zoomed out, and a timer appeared above the human. As the timer passed through days and hours, to minutes and seconds, the human being began to transform, until it was exactly like the fusion right next to it. Then, the screen changed back to the model of Enfer, showing the now-fusion human destroying alongside the rest of the fusions.

The screen changed once more. Now, it was showing the surface – through an overhead map of the pokemon world with each major city marked. From the point for Enfer City in the middle of the ocean, a black wave grew – Kruismara and the fusions, I could tell – as they rose up from the ruins of Enfer and moved to Lilycove. Slowly, the wave consumed the entire region, spreading out to feast on the other ones. The icon for the venom that the fusions carried in their bite flashed above each region they had ravaged.

I turned off the screen before I could see anymore. I struggled to breathe – in the midst of a panic attack – and I forced my eyes away from the dead screen.

And I saw Drew, whom I could tell had seen everything I had. He was pale, shaking, and at a loss for words.

* * *

Drew and I ran down the hallway as fast as we could. Harley, Soledad, and Lionel stood right before the opening into the room Verdana was in, waiting for us. They looked at us, saw our expressions, and their own faces fell.

"What's wrong?" Harley asked.

I ignored him, as did Drew when he walked in front of me and faced Verdana as she came to check on us.

And then he charged forward.

Verdana didn't have time to even blink. The next thing I heard was a sickening crack as Drew grabbed the collars of her lab coat and smashed her back against the wall, keeping her suspended, her feet dangling a few inches from the ground.

"You fuckin' bitch!" he hissed. "You're the one who's behind all this! You're the one who created Kruismara and the rest of those beasts! You're the reason why so many people and pokemon are _dead_! You unleashed the fusions onto Enfer!" He pulled her back and smashed her against the wall again – hard enough to make a dent in the wall, probably. Verdana stifled a whimper, but maintained a poker face, as Drew finished: "_You're the real monster here_!"

"Drew-!" Soledad reached for him, but I grabbed her and cut her off, simply shaking my head at her bewildered expression, stifling my own anger.

Verdana tried to put on an expression of shock – of unknowingness toward what Drew was talking about. However, when Drew's expression didn't faze, a frown crossed Verdana's face.

And then, she smirked.

"I was wondering when the secret was going to come out," she said, letting out a chuckle. "I guess I was expecting this. With how long you two were down there, I assumed I must've left the door to my personal office unlocked again. Oh well, everyone has to know of the Chimera Project sooner or later."

"Why the hell did you do it?" Drew hissed, still suspending her against the wall. "How did you even do it at all?"

Verdana shook her head. "So curious, when you could just easily call out one of your pokemon to snap my neck here and now. Of course…" She looked down at Drew's arms. "If _you_ don't do it first."

I stepped forward. "The loved ones of the innocent people you slaughtered will want to know everything."

"Of course." Verdana grinned and looked back at Drew. "Every now and then there's always someone who lusts for power, right? For control, domination, money, sex." She fought back a groan of pain. "But…I was different, in a way. I wanted to remodel the world, get rid of 'scary' organizations like Team Rocket who have failed to accomplish anything for so many years, stopped continuously by mere kids. I wanted to change it all, and give the world a reason to be scared again. I'm bored of the modern definition of 'fear'; it justifies nothing of what really goes bump in the night. I wanted to be the one person people referred to when they thought of 'fear.'"

"Why?" Drew asked.

"Why did I find fear so fascinating?" Verdana tilted her head slightly. "Well, it's evidently one of the strongest weapons to use against someone, because it can't be avoided. Even the bravest of heroes feel fear during their journeys, and if you have a way to escalate that, you have a way to stop anyone who opposes you. Thus…" She grinned again. "I built creatures – monsters – with powers from multiple pokemon, giving them an appearance one would only expect to see in a nightmare. Not only that, but as fusions, they now have capabilities that can intimidate anything and get rid of it in the process. They don't hunt people by their smell, their sight, or their hearing. They hunt people by sensing the fear they feel. The perfect hunters."

I shook my head. "You built Enfer City just to bring people here, didn't you? So you can unleash your 'perfect hunters' on everyone! Test them!"

"Exactly," Verdana said. "My, May, you're quite the smart one. Enfer City was built under the false belief that I would use it to test different environments where humans and pokemon could possibly live. Over time, I brought people here to live an every day life like they would live on the surface. Then, I sponsored the Grand Festival, to bring coordinators here as well. _And test your ability to survive_."

Drew's frown tightened. "Survive?"

Verdana nodded. "The regular citizens of Enfer – as well as the city itself - were here to provide the normal 'conditions' my fusions would face when they reached the surface. Meanwhile, coordinators are seen as fighters in a way. After all, most contests include battles. Since it was still too early to sponsor a tournament for regular trainers, I chose the next best thing. Coordinators would be good practice for my fusions – you would represent a kind of opposing force my armies would face when they attacked the surface." A laugh. "So, as you can see, Enfer City is just one giant training ground. It'll prepare my fusions for their domination over the surface world – to grow fear throughout the regions - and…it would give me a chance to build my army – spread the Chimera Virus like a plague and add more to the destruction. My fusions are made to both destroy and recruit, and Kruismara is to lead them."

At that, I looked at Harley – at his bandaged shoulder where that fusion had bitten him. He met my eyes, confused, worried, and I fought back a growl as I glared at Verdana.

"Ellis Bane was right," I said. "He was right all along."

Verdana arched a brow. "Ellis Bane?" She laughed again. "I shouldn't be surprised you ran into him. You see, Ellis Bane was a scientist who worked with me on the Chimera Project. But, he eventually grew insane from the kind of experiments we did, and therefore dangerous to its secrecy. I contemplated on killing him, but until I decided I had him locked him up in a cell in a northern part of Enfer. I guess when I went through on Kruismara's attack, I forgot about him, and he escaped during the chaos. No sense now. He's probably dead anyway."

"I should've suspected something," I said, burying my face in my hands. "When I saw that first fusion in the train station back at Lilycove, I shouldn't've just pushed it aside."

"I heard about that," Verdana said. "It was an accident – a fusion must've escaped from confinement and hitchhiked on the train when it headed to Lilycove to pick you up. When you pulled me to the side to ask about the possibility of fusion pokemon a while ago, I knew things were getting risky. I had to 'remove' a few of my employees – both the ones behind the accident and the ones who saw it."

My eyes widened. "You…killed them!" I growled. "You _are_ a monster!"

Verdana grinned. "Thanks. That's the image I was going for."

Suddenly, the ground shook again. I stumbled. A loud roar filled the hallway, despite the fact that it had come from outside. I looked back at Drew, who had managed to maintain his balance, his hold on Verdana still strong.

Verdana looked up and smiled. "He's here. My lovely pokemon is here. I knew he'd answer my call."

Before I could ask what she meant, another roar filled the air, shaking the ground. I took a second to try to recognize the voice's tone and pattern.

And when I did weakness flooded me.

I looked back at Drew again as he fought to stay up. In the process, he didn't notice Verdana reach into her pocket, pulling out a knife-

I lunged forward. "Drew!"

He looked back at me, and then at Verdana. She flashed the knife in front of his eyes. They widened. Before he could do anything, she sliced it across his forearm, drawing a wide line of blood that he immediately grabbed for, letting out a groan. Verdana dropped down to the ground, limping as she made her way back into the computer room.

"Stop her!" I yelled, and Lionel ran for her.

Verdana snarled, pushing a button on the computer's console before disappearing behind the door right next to it – one that I hadn't noticed before. Lionel slammed into the door, but it didn't budge. He reached for his pokeball, but the roars of a horde of fusions cut him off. He turned his eyes to the camera screens. I followed, my heart skipping a beat as the main door into the Citadel opened, and the fusions that had been trying to get in rushed in like a wave. Lionel struggled to close the door, pushing the same button that Verdana had pushed. But, it was no use, as the fusions had already jammed the door, preventing it from closing again.

Roars echoed throughout the hallway that led in from the main door as the fusions rushed toward us.

I ran for Drew, on which his hand covered the cut on his forearm, blood seeping between his fingers. I reached for it.

"I'm fine," he said. "We gotta get the hell out of here!"

I nodded and grouped up with Harley, Soledad, and Lionel. We ran down the hallway opposite from the one the fusions were coming in. I hoped that there was a back door – something that could help us escape.

Another roar – one louder than all the others. The ground shook, and a crash erupted from above me, pieces of concrete falling all around us. I looked up, noticing that I could clearly see the smoke-covered dome of Enfer – and the head of the monster that had torn the ceiling straight off. The structure of a nidoking; bluish-colored scales; a long, white mane stretching down from his head; horns and spikes protruding gruesomely from various places of his face; and pitch-black eyes consuming my soul just as the red ones of the regular fusions did.

The exact same beast one could only see in a nightmare.

"Kruismara," I whispered.

And, as if confirming it, Kruismara roared again.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Hey, Verdana. Why don't you go play in traffic? :[

Next chap coming soon.


	18. All That Remains

Hey peoples!

Stomach virus is gone! Yay. :D

And, just like in I Woke Up In a Car, bow down before Harley's elite driving skillz! 8D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 18: All That Remains**

* * *

"May! Come on!"

I shook my head, the breath stuck inside my chest finally releasing. Fingers wrapped around my arm. Warm. And wet. I looked forward – away from the dark gaze of Kruismara – and met Drew's eyes. He pulled me toward him, following Harley, Soledad, and Lionel. The blood from the cut on his forearm painted the palm and fingertips of his other hand – the one that held me – and I could feel the sticky substance on my flesh as we moved. But, he never let go, focused on the reality in front of us.

While I still felt trapped within a nightmare.

Another roar, followed by a series of smaller ones. I looked back. Fusions stumbled over one another as they filled the hallway right behind us, chasing us, but barely having any room to move. Kruismara, on the other hand, still glared down at us from the gaping hole of the Citadel's now nonexistent top floors. His eyes never broke away from mine – pools of oblivion that consumed every inch of bravery left within me. I forced my gaze away from his and kept moving, increasing my speed until I was the one pulling Drew along.

The hallway seemed to go on forever. The ground shook. I tripped, but managed to quickly regain my footing. Then, a wall appeared right in front of me. Drew and I stopped, nearly running into it. No, it wasn't a wall. A long, purple-scaled limb, spikes protruding from the end like pincers. Drapion? But bigger. Much bigger. The spikes impaled the ground right in front of us, having missed by mere inches. I looked up as the limb receded, and Kruismara let out another roar.

I swallowed. It had been one of Kruismara's tails – more, designs belonging to other various pokemon, whipped around behind him, some just as sharp as his drapion one.

Drew hissed a curse and pulled me to the side, taking back the lead as we caught up to Harley, Soledad, and Lionel.

"There!"

Lionel pointed forward. A door, on the wall that marked the end of the hallway we ran down. A large exit sign glowed above it; it was an alternate escape route for such things as fires, evidently. And maybe man-eating pokemon, though I doubted the constructors had that purpose in mind when placing it.

Harley pushed open the door with his good shoulder, letting us through before he slammed it in the snout of a fusion. We were back outside – in the area behind the Citadel, where separate streets led the way into the main intersections of Enfer City, tangled between jungles of buildings.

I looked back up. Kruismara towered over us, growling, shaking the ground with each step. He moved forward, coming after us.

I wasted no time in pulling Drew with me, following Harley, Soledad, and Lionel as they stopped by what looked like a forest green jeep. The jeep wasn't the only one of its kind; it stood in a long line of similar models – the kind of jeeps seen in the military. There weren't any soldiers here, so I assumed that the jeeps were for other purposes, or that they had been left behind when Kruismara had passed through earlier with all of Enfer's firepower at his heels.

In the middle of the line, one of the jeeps was missing. Verdana's obvious escape method, and it had unfortunately worked.

Harley jumped in the jeep they stood by almost immediately, taking the driver's seat. Soledad took the passenger and Lionel got in the back. Drew and I followed Lionel. Harley searched the jeep's compartments frantically. When he finally found the car's key, he uttered a word of gratitude to Arceus and stabbed the key into the ignition. The car rumbled with life, and I lurched forward when he slammed down on the gas pedal. I got up and watched as the jeep moved down one of the streets leading away from the Citadel. Kruismara roared, picking up his pace as he started to chase us, leaving behind his 'offspring' that were still in the fortress.

I looked back at Harley. He turned the steering wheel from side to side, the car swerving away from any large debris that littered the road. He used both hands – both shoulders moving - and I glanced at his face right as he stifled a grimace of pain. I was ready to take his place, but he stopped me when he met my eyes, frown firm.

"Just hold on!" he said.

Before I could respond, I slid to the side when the car made a sharp turn at an intersection. Kruismara, having been right behind us, let out a frustrated growl when he dove right past us unintentionally, backtracking within the blink of an eye to where the dodge didn't make much of a difference. He roared again, getting down on all fours, using his long arms to propel himself forward.

Harley hissed a curse, making another sharp turn. The jeep's wheels screeched as we disappeared into a thin alleyway. We reappeared into the street right beside the prior one – though now a long line of tall buildings separated us from Kruismara. Kruismara glared at us from over the buildings' rooftops. He opened his mouth, an orange ball of light forming at the tip of his tongue.

"Shit!" Harley hissed again. He swung the wheel to the left, veering the car in that direction.

And right as Kruismara unleashed his hyper beam.

The beam of orange energy shot out, impaling the blockade of buildings that separated us, slicing through them like a machete through vines. It went straight through and blew out the ground right where the jeep had been driving, nearly hitting us. Harley continued to turn the car in an attempt to avoid it. The ground shook, causing the car to jump, and I looked behind me to see the buildings the hyper beam had touched split, their top halves crashing into the street, creating a pile of bricks and concrete - and belongings that no longer meant anything to the people who were once in those buildings.

Kruismara pulled back. He shook his head, dragged down by the usual exhaustion that followed a hyper beam attack.

I looked back at Harley. The rearview mirror showed his eyes as they gazed behind us, watching Kruismara fall behind, disappearing beneath the line of buildings. Some of the tension left Harley's shoulders-

Another roar, and another crash that made both the ground and car shake.

I turned. Bricks exploded outward onto our street, the tall building they consisted crumbling as a large being tore through it. Kruismara. I inhaled sharply as chunks of concrete began raining down on the street, creating small craters wherever they landed. Harley bared his gritted teeth and forced more sharp turns. I grabbed hold of the jeep's railing to steady myself, and watched as Kruismara pushed away the remnants of the building he had destroyed like bugs on a windshield, picking up his pace, now on the very same street we were on - chasing us just as he was before.

Kruismara lunged forward, slamming his claws into the ground. The ground began to shake again. Then, a large crack surged through it, splitting the street apart. Earthquake - and stronger than any charger's. The separating ground began to affect the buildings; they toppled over, some crashing into the ones beside them as they all lost their support upon the unstable ground.

Harley tightened his hold on the steering wheel, moving the car to the left just as the crack ran past us, splitting the ground entirely. We stayed on the left to avoid falling into the large fissure, simultaneously dodging the buildings that were coming down on that side, spreading debris over the halved street just like their counterparts on the opposite side were. Harley veered the car to the right to avoid the implosion of a wide apartment building, which brought us dangerously close to the edge of the fissure. I swallowed hard and forced my eyes away from it. I didn't want to know what we'd face if we did fall.

Luckily, Harley managed to slide the car back in before the right side wheels slipped off the edge. A crash ahead of us – a business building with nearly the height of a skyscraper began to come down. The multiple-leveled parking garage right next to it lost its base, moving forward into our lane, stopping at an angle. As we approached it, the cars that were parked in there began to slide out – right in our pathway.

"Grab onto something!" Harley yelled, and I didn't hesitate to follow his command, my fingers wrapping around the jeep's railing again.

We dove into the storm of falling cars. I jumped as they crashed into the ground all around us. Alarms went off, their cries coming together as pieces of metal and glass went flying, painting our side of the street. The jeep veered to the left, and then to the right, and then to the left again. It then centered in the middle. I closed my eyes, feeling dizzy - the blaring sirens of disturbed cars deafened me to where I could barely make out another roar from Kruismara.

It wasn't long before we were past the parking garage, cars still falling behind us as we approached the toppling skyscraper. The base floors gave out; chairs, computers, and other office items spilled out onto the street, filling it. We wouldn't be able to avoid all of that, and Harley seemed to read my mind, as he then veered the jeep to the right, heading toward a crashed truck that had been carrying a ramp-like object on its bed. It faced the fissure – and the half of street on the opposite side.

"Harley-" Soledad began to say.

"No time!" Harley said. "Start praying!"

The next thing I knew the jeep was up the ramp. Harley slammed down on the gas pedal harder than before, getting that last burst of speed as we dove off the edge.

I forced myself not to look down into the fissure, where would be sent falling if the jeep didn't make it to the other side. I looked up as the car remained suspended, my heart jumping at the sight of the skyscraper falling straight toward us, windowed exterior mirroring the entire scene. The debris. The widening fissure. Kruismara as he came after us. And the fear in my eyes. I brought my gaze back down, jolting forward when the jeep's front wheels slammed into the ground that composed the other side of the street. The back wheels followed, and we sped forward. The ground shook again when the skyscraper crashed into it, right behind us, glass flying everywhere and the jeep nearly toppling over at the mere power of it all, though Harley managed to maintain our balance.

I looked back. Kruismara roared, tripping over the fallen skyscraper and landing on top of it, smashing it in. A cloud of dust and debris shot out, blowing over us. Another roar – a roar of pain – and I turned my eyes back around as the jeep moved past the end of the fissure.

Harley kept going. I didn't hear another roar. I didn't feel the ground shake again from another step. I didn't see a large figure follow us out of the cloud. We were alone. We were finally safe.

Kruismara was left behind as we moved down the street, and we didn't stop to see when he would get up again.

* * *

Harley parked the jeep right outside of a small grocery store, which stood by itself on the corner of an intersection. We all got out, straightening ourselves, trying to get past the feelings provoked by our escape – and Verdana's betrayal. I looked over at Harley, who breathed out a sigh of relief, stifling another grimace. Undoubtedly his shoulder was sore now – or, at least sorer than it had been before. As I thought about his shoulder, a lump grew in my throat.

Drew stepped forward toward Harley as he wrapped bandages he had found in the jeep around the cut on his forearm. His eyes scanned Harley. He frowned and let out a sigh. "That must've taken a lot out of you," he said, eyeing his shoulder. I knew that, in any other situation, Drew would've commented on his driving or made some snide remark. But, Harley's driving skills or Kruismara was not what was on his mind, or mine.

Harley shook his head. "I'm just glad we lost Kruismara…for now. That said, we better not stay here for long."

"Harley?" Soledad reached for him.

Harley pulled away before she touched his arm – the arm connected to his bitten shoulder. He shook his head again. "I'm…I'm going to go get some water. Anyone want anything? No? 'Kay. I'll be back out in a minute."

He disappeared into the grocery store, leaving the rest of us outside.

I looked at Soledad and forced a small smile – an assuring small smile that didn't seem to comfort her. She didn't know the whole truth, as while Drew and I was aware of what happened with fusion bites, Verdana had only implied it to everyone else. Soledad was confused, evidently, and worried. I could see it in her face. I wanted to tell her what Verdana had meant, and at the same time I didn't. I doubt even Harley knew what was going on, though something in me said otherwise.

"I'll go check on him," was the only thing I said, and I forced myself away from the group, knowing that Drew would explain everything to Soledad and Lionel if it came to that.

* * *

"Harley?"

The grocery store was dark. The only thing that provided any source of light were the bulbs that illuminated the frozen foods section. Since that was near the soda and juice aisle, I headed toward it. A cough that followed led me to Harley, where he was leaning against the wall, evidently trying to regain himself.

That lump in my throat returned as I gazed at him. His skin glowed from the freezers' lights, and I could clearly see the lack of tan he always had. He was pale now, sweat running down his neck, and it was obvious that he was trying to hold it all back. He let out another cough. I wondered how long he had felt this way – how long he had been hiding it from the rest of us.

"Harley…"

He turned. Slowly. He met my eyes and tried to show a small smile. But it wasn't working.

"You…" I swallowed. "You know what's happening, don't you?"

"I have an idea," he said.

With that, he reached for the cuff of his long sleeve, which covered the arm belonging to his damaged shoulder. "It began to happen a little while ago, shortly after we left the hospital." He let out a dry chuckle. "It didn't take much for me to catch on to what was going on, because it explained everything; the reason why we never saw any dead bodies of pokemon or humans on the streets or in buildings. I didn't want everyone to worry – especially Soledad – so I kept it to myself, planning to talk to Verdana about it. I thought she might be able to find a way to fix it, but when we all found out that she's the person behind all of this…"

He lifted up his sleeve, revealing his arm.

A wave of nausea flooded through me.

The arm had already shifted; his human flesh was in the midst of peeling off as bluish-purple scales grew out to take its place. I couldn't place the possible pokemon they represented, but I could see the needles of a cacturne poking through between each of the scales. The change reached deeper into his sleeve, probably stretching to his shoulder where the Chimera Virus had first started to spread, and it wouldn't be long before it transformed his hand.

And the rest of his body.

"…I guess I lost my inspiration to do so," he said, finishing his earlier sentence.

I walked forward. Gently, I reached for his arm. I felt one of the scales. He grimaced, though I knew it wasn't out of pain. It was because he could feel my touch, as if the scales were his new flesh. Because they really were.

"We never saw any dead bodies," I said, "because the people and pokemon the fusions didn't eat, they just bit them and had them changed into one of them."

"Exactly."

I looked up and met Harley's eyes.

"I can feel myself getting weaker, May," he said. "I…I looked at Soledad earlier. I wanted to kiss her, but I also felt a new sensation – a sensation I couldn't suppress no matter how much I tried. I wanted to…" He turned away, shaking. "Arceus, I don't want to imagine it. I don't want to even describe it, but it's what we see in the eyes of the fusions whenever they're chasing us."

I breathed in.

Harley covered his face with his hand. "I…I can't-" He shook again. "I don't want to do that to her. I don't want to do that to Drew or Lionel. I don't want to do that to you, May, but something inside of me...it's just-"

I turned him around and cupped his face. "Listen to me!" I said, holding back my own tears. "We're going to get to the escape pods, we're going to find where Verdana went, and we're going to get you cured and turned back to normal! She has to have a cure! I mean, what if she got bitten by accident?"

Harley opened his mouth. I halted his protest with a shake of my head.

"We're going to get you better," I said. "You have to hang in there! Remember who you are!" My voice lowered. "Please, Harley. Don't give up on me. Please don't. Just…don't."

I pushed myself to him, leaning my forehead against his chest.

"I'll hang on for as long as I can," Harley said. "But…"

He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me away – so he could look into my eyes.

"If…" He sighed. "If I…change…before we get there. If I try to attack you or the others, just…just let me go. Just…hit me with every move your pokemon have…and make sure I don't get up again."

I closed my eyes.

Harley gently shook me.

"Promise me, May."

I would give anything just so I didn't have to say those two words. But, I had no choice at the moment, and I opened my eyes to meet his.

"I promise."

The door opened. I looked behind me. Drew stared back, face shadowed. He watched as Soledad slowly approached Harley. He read her face, and he shook his head.

And as Soledad fell into his arms, I knew that I wasn't going to be the only one who would have to make that promise.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

...Dammit, I'm sad again.


	19. From First to Last

Agh. Busy, busy, busy.

But, at least exams are almost over. :O

Next chap!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 19: From First to Last**

* * *

I closed my eyes.

The jeep rumbled as we drove down another empty street. Debris covered our path – objects from the buildings that surrounded us, both material possessions and pieces of the bricks and concrete that consisted most of the structures. The car made a small jump every time we crossed one, but with the way the street looked, it seemed impossible to avoid such a thing. It was just like the streets before – it was just like the rest of Enfer City. A test site. Nothing more.

Just like the way Verdana wanted it.

I opened my eyes and looked behind me from my position in the passenger seat. Lionel sat in the back compartment, his eyes glued to our map as he figured the quickest way to reach the southern district. Also in the back was Soledad, who cradled Harley in her arms. My heart clenched as I saw the sweat that ran down Harley's pale skin. The needles of his fusion arm had poked through the fabric of his long-sleeved shirt, and I could see his scales through the torn material. He swallowed hard and shook, his eyes shut tight. He fought the transformation – the monster forming inside of him, determined to liberate itself and take full control.

Soledad said nothing; as if there was nothing she could say. Words couldn't change what was happening, even if they were demands for Drew to drive faster, or cries of anguish that could only echo across this dead city. We had all learned that down here. I could tell that Soledad wanted to scream, let out everything, and beg Arceus for a miracle. But, she didn't.

Instead, she continued to cradle Harley in her arms. She kissed the top of his head, keeping her lips there. One arm remained wrapped around him, while the other came up to run fingers through his hair – an attempt to comfort him, to let him know that he wasn't alone to fight this battle by himself.

As if to respond, Harley covered her hand with his. He looked up at her with a smile on his lips. A weak smile, but a smile all the same, and Soledad returned it before she leaned down to kiss him.

I looked over at Drew as he maneuvered the jeep around a pile of other cars. He kept our speed at a reasonable pace, but I knew that he wanted to go faster as much as Soledad wanted to tell him to. We didn't want to risk hitting anything, though, or force the engine to make a roar louder than the one it already had, which would attract fusion attention. Still, we moved down the streets quicker than we would if we walked on foot, and I was glad that, even through our encounter with Kruismara, we had finally found a working car.

Drew's eyes rose to gaze at Harley and Soledad through the overhead mirror. He sighed and looked at me.

Slowly, I covered my hand over his as it laid on the jeep's gearshift.

* * *

We stopped at an abandoned gas station that didn't look any better than the buildings that surrounded it. Nonetheless, the aisles inside of it were still filled with goods. While Drew quickly hopped out to fill the jeep's tank and Lionel called out his metagross to help him scout the area, I headed in for any supplies we could possibly use.

The first aisle I searched was the medicine aisle – for medication that could help Harley. All I found, though, were the usually big-name brands that helped fight such things as sinuses and insomnia. I frowned. There weren't any medicine that could help someone deal with the side effects of transforming into a bloodthirsty fusion pokemon. For some reason, I wasn't surprised.

I moved on to the food aisles. I gathered a few bottles of water and bags of food and tossed them into a small shopping cart I had found in the corner. I hadn't taken the chance to stock us back at the grocery store after our escape from Kruismara, so I didn't care if I grabbed too much. All I thought about was the fact that we needed to be as prepared as we could for the final trek to the southern district of Enfer. It was the last obstacle in our path, but it was still an obstacle.

A distant roar, followed by a faint explosion. I blinked. It hadn't taken long for Enfer's military to find and engage Kruismara again, though I was glad that they had led him away from our path. I shook my head. I wondered if any of them knew that Verdana had created Kruismara and the fusion pokemon, and that she had led all of us down here to use us as test subjects.

I sighed. I wouldn't be surprised if Drew, Harley, Soledad, Lionel, and I were the only ones who knew. Verdana could reveal herself to the military and call out different orders, and no one would question her reasons due to her 'determination' to protect the city from further harm.

I pushed the thought away as I moved the filled cart to the station's door. I motioned at Drew that I was going to look around more for anything that we could use. He nodded and I returned to the aisles.

There was nothing else on the shelves that would be helpful. I headed toward the back of the station, where the door into the manager's office was closed. I figured that there might be something useful inside, so I pushed open the door-

I was thrown back when the door burst from its hinges, slamming me against the wall. A cry escaped me as pain shot through my bruised arm, intensified by its current state. I shook my head and tried to orient myself, and I looked forward to identify my attacker.

My eyes widened.

A scout fusion stared back. It bared its fangs, hungry eyes watching me. Part tyranitar and part something else, though I couldn't define what that 'something else' was, as I had to move when the fusion roared and lunged for me. I rolled to the side, and the fusion growled when it hit the wall instead of me. It turned and glared, and I continued to scoot back. At that moment, I scolded myself for thinking that the gas station was empty.

"May!"

The fusion's roar had clearly surpassed the muffling interior of the station, as it hadn't taken Drew long at all to appear by my side. Lionel was right behind him, and even Harley had gotten up to come to my aid, Soledad next to him.

The fusion looked at me, then at Drew. It looked at Harley, to Soledad, to Lionel, to the rivaling glare given to it by Lionel's metagross. Despite being outnumbered, it didn't look the least bit scared, and it let out another roar without hesitance.

I reached for Blaziken's pokeball, ready to fight-

A loud clang.

The fusion's eyes widened. It stopped, as if frozen.

Then, it fell forward.

I moved back before it landed on me. I stared at it. Its eyes were closed, and I noticed that there was some sort of dent in the armor plating that made up the back of its skull. With that, I blinked and looked up.

A man stood before us, a shovel in his hand. Spiky, black hair. Unshaven stubble. Ragged clothing covered him almost perfectly. His dark blues eyes met mine, and a goofy grin crossed his face.

"Friends!" he said. "Always nice to see familiar faces!"

My jaw nearly dropped. "_Ellis_?"

Flashing another grin, Ellis Bane stepped over the fallen fusion. "That's my name. It's also always nice when someone remembers your name, right? Names are such important things. They help us find out so many secrets!"

"What are you doing here?" I asked, returning to my feet.

Ellis shrugged. "Been all over the place. Here. There. Just about everywhere! Boy, is this city a mess! It looked a lot better before the demon attacked! Such a marvelous pokemon, that demon! Oh, why must he be bad? Destroying everything and such. So sad!"

I looked at the shovel Ellis held, and then I looked down at the unconscious fusion with the large dent in its head. I swallowed and decided not to ask questions about that. Instead, I jumped to the next big thing.

"We know the truth," I said. "That Katherine Verdana is the one behind this. We know about the Chimera Project."

At that, Ellis stumbled back and yelped. I spun around to see if another fusion had come through the door, but when nothing was there, I turned back around to see Ellis sitting against the wall, his knees to his chest in what looked like some sort of fetal position.

"Bad!" he cried. His eyes turned to me. Wide. Scared. "I was never told it was bad! It was so bad! I feel so bad! The project was bad! This whole thing is bad! Bad! Bad! Bad! Bad!"

I approached him. "You were a scientist who worked on the project, right?"

He looked at me. "I was told I wasn't a scientist! Instead, I was a man who needed to be locked up before I caused trouble with my outrageous theories! No one trusted me! But I knew all the secrets! But I couldn't speak them! If I spoke them, they would kill me, because then people would know that the big demon wasn't the biggest!"

"People would know about what Enfer City was really for," Drew said. "People would know that Verdana is the person behind all this."

"The biggest demon," Ellis whispered. "Biggest, scariest demon."

I met his eyes. "Listen, we know that after Kruis-"

Ellis hissed. "Don't say his name!"

"Erm, I mean the big demon. We know that the demon's name was the password into the files for the Chimera Project. We also know all about Verdana's plan - that after the big demon is done destroying Enfer, he's going to go to the surface with his…children, and spread the Chimera Virus across the regions."

Ellis tilted his head to the side. "The demon's name _was_ the key to defeating him, because now that you know everything, you can stop the right people and stop him in the process." He smiled at me. "Amazing, isn't it?"

I shifted. "Since you were a scientist on the Chimera Project-"

Ellis tried to cut me off with a shake of his head, but my glare halted him.

"You were a scientist and you know it," I said. "You know a lot of secrets because of it, and there's a few more of those secrets we need to know."

"Like…?"

Soledad moved closer. "Is there a cure for the Chimera Virus?"

Ellis looked at her. "What for…?"

Then, his eyes strayed to Harley – and his exposed fusion arm.

Ellis yelped again and backed away from Harley. "Demon! He's turning into a demon!"

"Which is why we need to know if there's a cure!" I growled.

"Of course there's a cure," Ellis said, calming down when I stepped in front of him and blocked his view of Harley. "But I wasn't on the team who developed it, so I don't know many secrets about it."

"Would Verdana have some?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. Biggest, scariest demon only thinks about herself. Why would she share it with you?"

Drew shook his head. "We kind of plan on just taking it…whether or not it involves her permission."

Ellis leaned in toward me. Despite his odor, I didn't back away this time.

"Cure or not," he whispered. "Change happens fast. Very fast. Physical change is a symptom, but not the beginning. Mental change is faster, yes – begins just as soon as person is bitten. Hunger develops. Humanity is lost. Hunter breaks free and _thrives_."

I swallowed hard. I didn't want to think about what he meant by that, but I already knew.

Ellis stepped back before I could say anything, and Lionel took that time to approach.

"Do you know where Verdana would go after places like the Citadel?" he asked.

Ellis put a finger to his chin. "Biggest, scariest demon stays with big demon. So, maybe she's still down here. The city's power plant, perhaps? It's connected to the generator that powers Enfer. Located right next to the escape pods in the southern district." He grinned. "Maybe once the big demon moves on, she hopes to blow the city up…?"

I blinked at that. "Wait, what?"

"The generator that powers Enfer is like a bomb," Ellis said. "Another fascinating secret, yes? I know a lot of them! Anyway, the generator is a safe switch. If anything during the big demon's attack went wrong, the biggest, scariest demon could just blow the city up. Make it look like the generator overpowered on itself. A simple accident, and she would get away without so much as a tap on her wrist, because people wouldn't know. Kaboom! That's all they would know."

I looked at Drew, and then back at Ellis. "If the attack is going well, why would she be there?"

"Ready to blow Enfer up once the big demon moves on. Get rid of anyone still alive who would be willing to pursue her, maybe? I dunno. I do know that the biggest, scariest demon likes destruction, likes chaos. Fear. And lots of it. The tubes beneath Enfer connect it all. All she would have to do is push a button, get out, and watch Enfer become another lost city beneath the sea!"

I thought for a moment. "Tubes?"

"Yes. The tubes are long and big, enough to fit the big demon. How do you think he gets away so fast, hmm? Escapes so easily? Appears in other places of town faster than you can blink? Where do you think he was hiding during the time the biggest, scariest demon was preparing for the attack?"

That explained a lot. "Could those tubes provide a safe route to the southern district?"

"Mm…don't think so. Lots of demons down there. No problem for big demon, though."

I hissed a curse under my breath.

"I would hurry if I were you, friends," Ellis said. "Big demon is nearly done with his attack. Biggest, scariest demon is probably getting ready to blow the city up. Get rid of us all! Kaboom!"

Ellis spun around and headed for the door.

"Wait!" I reached for him, but missed. He stopped, though, and met my eyes. "Come with us! We need more people who know the truth, so we can get the rest of the military to believe that Verdana is behind everything."

Ellis shook his head. "Why would guys with guns believe me? I'm just a crazy man with outrageous theories – not a scientist. They'd just shoot me for annoying them. Hurry, friends!"

"But-"

Ellis eyed Harley. He winced at the sight of his fusion arm. "And, for your friend's sake, I'd run a little faster."

With that, Ellis rushed out the door.

I ran outside to search for him, but he was gone. I hissed another curse. Ellis Bane needed to slow down.

Or, maybe…

My eyes turned to Harley as he and the others came out of the station.

Or maybe we really did need to hurry up.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Why exactly does Ellis like hanging around in gas stations? Full story at 11!

...I need to go to bed. Dx


	20. The Demon Inside

Ack. Still busy, busy, busy.

I'm not dead! ...Much.

Erm, next chap!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 20: The Demon Inside**

* * *

Enfer's ruins passed by like a blur. The words of Ellis Bane hadn't only affected me, because now Drew pushed further down onto the jeep's acceleration, narrowed eyes focused on the street ahead – and nowhere else. We had kept this high speed since our departure from the gas station, and with each second that passed, I could only think about Kruismara's destruction progress; and how close that brought Verdana to blowing up the remains. Needless to say, we so much didn't worry if the roar of the jeep's engine would bring out fusion pokemon, than we did of the idea of getting obliterated if we didn't reach the southern district in time.

I looked behind my seat. Harley appeared better than he had before, in the sense that he had laid up against the wall of the jeep's back compartment. His eyes were closed, though, and his chest rose and fell with a slow, unsteady rhythm, as he exhaled through his mouth. I couldn't tell if he was asleep, but with the way that Soledad sat next to him, her hand over his and her worried eyes focused on his face, I knew we didn't have much longer.

I forced myself to look away. I didn't want to think about that – that if we didn't blow up with the last remnants of Enfer City, Harley still wouldn't be saved. If we didn't find the cure for the Chimera Virus, he would…

_Change happens fast. Very fast. Physical change is a symptom, but not the beginning. Mental change is faster, yes – begins just as soon as person is bitten. Hunger develops. Humanity is lost. Hunter breaks free and thrives._

"May?"

My eyes opened, and I met Drew's gaze. It was the first time he had taken his eyes off the road since our departure from the gas station.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I'm fine. Just keep going as fast as you can."

Drew frowned, as if he wanted to tell me something – as if he knew what haunted me. But, he didn't say anything else, and he turned his attention back to the road, regaining our speed.

We didn't have time to talk. Not anymore.

Panic filled my stomach. It crawled up my throat, its claws digging into my flesh. I swallowed hard and pushed it back down. I didn't come this far to lose it all now-

An explosion roared from the side of us. It filled my ears. My vision blurred, and I could barely identify anything as the world swirled in front of me. I gripped my seat – or what I thought was my seat – as I heard Drew yell out "Holy shit!" and the car made another complete spin.

Then, it all stopped. I lurched forward as the jeep collided with something.

Once the moment calmed down, I took in air, having held my breath. Pain shot through me. I stifled a groan and focused on clearing my vision. I realized I was still in my seat, and that the jeep was still upright on its wheels. But, smoke billowed from the engine, as the wall of the building we had crashed into had smashed the front of the car in.

I looked to the side. Drew put a hand to his head, shaking away his disorientation. He seemed fine apart from that. I looked over my shoulder. Soledad and Lionel were okay, and Harley had been awakened from whatever state he had been in.

What had sent us flying like that? I looked up the road.

And my heart jumped.

The building we had passed crumbled; as the fresh, gaping hole in its center spread remnants of a fire throughout its supports. Across from it, the burning heap that once consisted a car lay lodged into the wall of a parallel building, and the two fusion behemoths that had thrown it emerged from the other side of the street. They didn't heed the damaged buildings and approached the car, sniffing it, as if looking for something that had once been inside of it.

I gestured at the fusions to Drew and the others, paranoid to make a sound. The behemoths didn't seem to notice that we were here. They were occupied with their current task, and I preferred to keep it that way.

Slowly, we all got out of the jeep, hiding ourselves behind it. My heart hammered against my chest. Not only was our car totaled, but any sudden movements would also attract the attention of the behemoths.

"We _really_ don't need this right now," Harley hissed.

I looked at him. That voice…it hadn't sounded like him. A primal growl, like a caged beast. It sent a shiver down my spine. Something I would never associate with Harley. Our Harley.

However, when he met my eyes, those familiar metallic green irises calmed my nerves.

I made my way over to the side of the jeep and peeked around its edge. The behemoths still surrounded the burning car. One lowered its head, pulling something out from the driver's seat with its teeth, where it then craned its neck and swallowed it whole.

Only one idea of what they were eating filled my head. I fought the urge to gag. Fear flooded through me. My heart continued to beat against my chest, and sweat developed on my hands.

One of the behemoths raised its head. Its ears turned, as if it had sensed something.

I froze.

Fusions hunted people by sensing their fear.

I forced myself to calm down, trying to suppress my racing heart. My hands tightened into fists, and, thankfully, the anxiousness in my stomach began to die down.

Seconds later, my nerves had calmed again. I looked around the jeep's edge and at the behemoths.

The behemoth that had sensed my fear still had its head raised. Its ears twitched continuously, and its nostrils flared, smelling the air. It looked in different directions, then at its partner, who only growled and focused on the car they had wrecked.

Eventually, the behemoth that had sensed me went back to helping its partner.

I exhaled and looked at Drew, who seemed just as relieved as I was-

The jeep rose, and I stumbled back as our only cover disappeared into the air. A low growl followed, and I looked up to see a third behemoth, its narrowed eyes turned to us. It held our jeep with both of its claws, where it then let out a full roar and tossed the vehicle to the side like a pointless object.

The other two behemoths snapped their heads up. Their lips curled back as they spotted us.

"Move!" Drew yelled, and I didn't hesitate to listen to him.

I rolled to the side right as the third behemoth smashed its fist against where I'd been, leaving a heavy dent in the asphalt. It turned in my direction, coming toward me, while the other two behemoths raced past it and after Drew, Harley, Soledad, and Lionel.

I grabbed Blaziken's pokeball from my pocket and tossed it. "Flamethrower!"

Blaziken emerged from the ball. She growled and opened her beak, shooting out a beam of fire that struck the behemoth straight in the chest. It stepped back, letting out what I assumed to be a groan of pain, but just as fast as it had done that, it glared at Blaziken, lunged forward, and slammed its huge claw against her. She flew to the side, crashing into the ground.

"No! Blaziken!"

I reached for her, but I stopped when the behemoth let out another roar.

Instead, I got up, barely avoiding a swipe from its claw. I headed for Blaziken, but the behemoth blocked me with its long tail, curling around to then trap me inside. I escaped through the gap before it closed, and I ran in the only direction I could – toward an alleyway settled between two tall buildings. I could lose it in a maze of alleyways, though that depended on if this one connected to others and wasn't just a dead end.

I didn't have time to think about it. I raced down the darkened pathway, hearing the stomps of the behemoth as it chased behind me. I kept my eyes ahead, waiting for an alternate opening.

But one never came up.

I hissed a curse. I met a dead end instead, and I stopped and spun around to face the behemoth.

It snarled and approached me.

I reached for Glaceon's pokeball, hoping that she could push it back without getting bitten-

"Hey! Snarles!"

The behemoth paused. It swung its head around, and I looked past it to see Harley. The behemoth roared, coming for him instead. In that one second, Harley turned his eyes to me and made a gesture, and I understood his plan.

I released Glaceon. "Ice beam! Trap it!"

Glaceon ran forward, firing out a beam of ice at the behemoth's feet. The ice crawled up its body, and right as the behemoth reached for Harley, the ice encased its head, ending at its outstretched claw.

Harley let out the breath he'd been holding, and I let out my own sigh of relief.

"Come on," he said. "We gotta find the others."

I nodded and followed him past the behemoth.

However, before we could get far, something cracked from behind us. I turned, swallowing hard as, with one push, the behemoth broke free from the ice. It roared and came forward, its feet crushing any stray pieces of ice that littered the ground.

"Do we have to hit it with everything we got?" I asked.

Harley didn't answer. He pushed me behind him as the behemoth came closer. When the behemoth reached for us, Harley put up his arm – his fusion arm.

The behemoth paused.

I arched a brow, and so did Harley.

The behemoth growled, as if it struggled with itself. It flexed its fingers, like it wanted to grab Harley. But it couldn't.

Harley looked at his fusion arm, and then looked back at the behemoth. He nudged his arm toward the fusion, and the fusion growled, stepping back, shaking its head. It roared at him, but did nothing else, as if something prevented it from attacking Harley.

"What the hell?" I said.

"Quick!" Harley said to me. "Attack!"

I blinked, and I mentally scolded myself for not seeing the opening. "Glaceon, Ice beam! Full power!"

Glaceon jumped forward and fired out another ice beam. The attack hit the behemoth in the chest and sent it stumbling back from the force. It crashed into the wall that made up the alleyway's dead end, going through it and into the building beyond. It cried out in pain, and I quickly ordered Glaceon to seal off the hole. If anything, it would give us a longer chance to get away this time.

I looked at Harley, who had turned away from me. "Let's go," I said.

Harley didn't respond. He didn't even move.

I arched a brow. "Harley?" I walked closer to him. "Are you okay?"

Still, no response.

I reached for his shoulder, but I paused before I touched him.

A feeling crept up my throat. He had acted weird since we left the gas station, and the memory of that primal tone he had used earlier filled my head. Why hadn't the behemoth attacked him? Was it because it saw his fusion arm? Or, was it because…

_Change happens fast. Very fast. Physical change is a symptom, but not the beginning. Mental change is faster, yes – begins just as soon as person is bitten. Hunger develops. Humanity is lost. Hunter breaks free and thrives._

I recognized the feeling that crept up my throat. Fear.

"H-Harley?"

I touched his shoulder, and he turned around.

"Yeah?" he said, metallic green eyes bright with confusion.

I breathed out a sigh of relief. "Are you okay? You spaced out there for a second."

Harley frowned. "I did? Oh, sorry."

"It's fine." I smiled sheepishly. "Let's get out of here."

"Definitely."

I moved past him, Glaceon right beside me.

"Oh, and May?"

I turned and faced Harley. "Hmm?"

Then, those metallic green eyes that belonged to Harley and only Harley vanished. In their place were blood red pools.

"_Run_," he said – and in that primal tone from before.

That non-Harley tone.

Because he wasn't Harley anymore.

I opened my mouth in a silent scream, stumbling over myself, barely dodging Harley as he lunged for me.

Glaceon cried her name, confused.

"Ice beam!" I managed to get out, and she hesitated before following the command.

The ice struck Harley's feet. Instead of crawling up his body like it had done with the behemoth, it just froze his feet in place. He glared down at the ice, and then at me, unable to move. He roared – a roar that couldn't possibly come from a human.

Tears threatened to pour from my eyes. The man I considered a father – a man who I had known for sixteen years – now stood before me, consumed by the demon that had been growing inside of him. Lost to it – lost to who he was, to who I was. Lost to it all.

Glaceon cried her name again, breaking me from my thoughts.

I got to my feet and ran. I didn't want to leave Harley, but I couldn't stay there. I remembered the promise I had made to him – that if he turned on us, that if the Chimera Virus took control, I would make sure it didn't take him alive. But…I couldn't. I couldn't attack him, definitely with the knowledge that the real Harley was still in there, fighting to regain control.

Seconds later, I emerged onto the street where our jeep had crashed. I kept going, not wanting to stop, but then I ran into something – someone, actually, who let out a grunt. I felt a pair of arms wrap around me – a warm hold that didn't take me long to recognize.

"May!"

I looked up and met Drew's eyes.

"May! What's wrong? Is a behemoth behind you?"

"No!" I shook my head. "I-It's Harley!"

Drew paled. "W-what?"

A roar came from behind me – from the alleyway. Even Glaceon backed away against my leg.

Harley came out of the alleyway's darkness. He bared his teeth, which now resembled fangs. His red eyes glowed; it illuminated the hunger in them.

"No…" Drew said – and out of disbelief.

Harley snarled. Then, he lunged.

Drew pushed me to the side. I stumbled, but then I turned, and just as Drew intercepted Harley from reaching me.

Harley fell to the ground, Drew on top of him. He snarled, baring his fangs at Drew, and Drew pinned Harley's wrists above him. Harley struggled.

"Dammit, Harley, it's me!" Drew hissed. "It's Drew! Don't you recognize me!"

Harley snarled again.

Glaceon whimpered. I could only stare.

"Fight it!" Drew said. "This isn't you! Don't let it control you!"

At that, Harley freed one of his wrists, and he punched Drew in the jaw. Drew fell back, and Harley got to his feet. However, Drew quickly grabbed him again, this time pushing him against the building's wall. Harley snarled again, but Drew only tightened his grip.

"Remember who you are!" Drew said. "You don't want to do this! I…" Drew swallowed hard, and I could tell that he was remembering my promise to Harley – a promise that he had also made. "_I _don't want to do this!"

"Harley!"

I turned my head. Soledad rushed forward, Lionel right behind her. She reached for Harley, while Drew kept him pinned to the wall.

"Harley!" she cried. "Fight this!"

At the sound of her voice, Harley seemed to calm.

Soledad took that moment to brush his cheek with her fingertips. Harley continued to squirm beneath Drew's grip, but the more her touch lingered on his skin, the more he seemed to regain himself.

Then, Harley looked in her direction. He opened his mouth, as if to snarl at her-

"Sol…Soledad?"

He had murmured her name, but I still heard it – I still heard the comforting sound of his actual voice. Harley's voice.

Harley blinked, and then he blinked again, shaking his head. With each blink, the redness that clouded his eyes faded away, until their natural metallic green hue fully returned.

Soledad smiled through her tears. "Welcome back."

Harley looked around. "Where…what?" He met Drew's eyes, and then looked past him at me. "Did…Did I…?" His eyes grew wet. "_Arceus_."

Drew loosened his grip on Harley, who fell to his knees, his head in his hands. His shoulders shook, and I could tell that he was crying.

I got up and made my way over to him. Then, I kneeled down, and I wrapped my arms around his shivering figure. I buried my face into the crook of his neck. I felt tears approaching, but I stifled them.

"I could have…I could have hurt one of you," Harley muttered. "I could have-"

"But you didn't," I said. "That proves that you're stronger than the virus – than what these monsters really are."

Harley looked at me, and then at Soledad as she kneeled down to meet his face. She kissed him softly, and I moved out of the way so she could embrace him.

"Blaziken…"

I turned and saw Blaziken approach. I smiled at her, glad that she was okay, but with the sadness that swirled around in her eyes, I could tell that she had seen what happened. She locked eyes with Glaceon, who only shook her head.

I looked down the road. I could see the decline of Enfer's dome – a clear sign that we had reached the furthest point we could go in this direction. The southern district wasn't far. Even with the lack of a car and the behemoths gone, we still had a chance.

But, as I looked down at Harley and Soledad, then at Drew and Lionel, and then at my pokemon, I wondered which of us still honestly believed in that.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

... Dx

Next chap coming soon.


	21. How to Save a Life

Hey peoples!

Next chap!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 21: How to Save a Life**

* * *

We ran. Whenever that throbbing pain of fatigue engulfed my legs, I told myself that, within only a few streets away, sat the southern district of Enfer. I could see a small shape shoot up from the top of a building. I realized with a gasp that it was an object outside of the dome, and it disappeared into the depths of the ocean, heading for the surface.

An escape pod.

_Almost there!_

We were so close to freedom – to safety. We were so close to escaping this living hell. We were so close to proving Verdana wrong; surviving her trap and showing her that she didn't scare us as much as she thought.

And we were so close to the cure for the Chimera Virus.

I looked over my shoulder. Harley was practically right beside me. I could see the worry in his eyes – and the struggle to maintain his sense of humanity. He looked sicker by the second, his skin pale, sweat rolling down his neck. I could see the scales of his fusion form already stretching up into his neck, cacturne-like spikes protruding from between the plates. The incident that took place only minutes ago haunted all of us – where the fusion Harley was turning into had taken control. Only the words of Soledad had been able to remind Harley who he was and help him regain his senses.

As I thought about that, I realized that worry and struggle wasn't only what filled his eyes. Contrition. He felt more guilt than anything else, for losing control like he had. The emotion radiated from him; it was almost palpable.

Still, he held on. He would hold on for as long as he could. That's what he had told me.

He was too stubborn to die, too. That's what I told myself.

* * *

"Oh no…"

"What?" I asked, looking at Drew. He had been leading us, but when he stopped in place at a spot where the road declined downward, his face seemed to fall at what was ahead.

He didn't answer, as if stuck in a trance. So, I made my way up to him and looked for myself.

A cold sensation shot down my spine.

The road descended into a large opening, where multiple buildings traced the border and nearly boxed the area in. The only way out was the road we were on, which marked a narrow pathway that passed through the area and continued onward. But, that wasn't what made my heart hammer against my chest.

The area was filled with fusions.

As if they were fully caged in, dozens and dozens of fusions covered the space from top to bottom. Behemoths, scouts, chargers and lashers. Every single kind was there, growling and snarling at one another, as if they knew that this was a passage to the southern district – a road many humans and regular pokemon would take when trying to escape.

I fell to my knees.

There was too many; we wouldn't be able to fight them and push our way through. We would be overwhelmed. I looked around, but I saw no alternative routes – paths that we could take to sneak around the horde. All other roads had been blocked off; either by other crowds of fusions, or fallen buildings to where it would at least take a day or two to clear it out of our way.

And we couldn't go back. That would also take too much time.

I shivered. I could feel sorrow and frustration build in my chest, clashing together to where it made me want to scream out in anger. I banged the side of my fist into the asphalt, forcing my brain to think of another way. Something. Anything – as long as it still gave us a fighting chance.

"Fuck," Harley muttered as he kneeled right beside me, panting.

"What do we do now?" Lionel asked.

I looked at him. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't. I didn't have any alternatives to give. I considered all possibilities in my head, but every single one of those possibilities guaranteed failure when put against the rush we were in – the need to escape before Verdana blew up Enfer City.

"I…I don't know," I said, closing my eyes.

"Can't we just fight through it?" Soledad asked.

Drew turned and met her eyes. He lowered his gaze to the ground. "There's too many…we were lucky in past cases, but something like this…" He looked back at the area. "We don't stand a chance. There's nothing to keep them from chasing us even if we did manage to get through."

Soledad pulled back at that, her eyes glossy.

"What do we do now?" Lionel repeated, his voice cracking. "Find another way?"

"There is no other way," I said, struggling to get the words out. "Everything else is blocked off, and it would take too long to fully backtrack." I grit my teeth. "We're so close." I glared ahead. "_We're so close, dammit_!"

"May…" Drew murmured.

I shook. I couldn't believe this. So close…I beat my fist against the asphalt again.

_So close._

"We can't give up now!" Lionel said.

I looked at him. I opened my mouth to say something, but I was cut off when Harley stood up from beside me. He looked down at me with darkened eyes.

Then, he turned around and walked off, disappearing into a nearby alleyway.

I dropped my shoulders. Had Harley felt himself losing control again? No…he would've warned us if he had. I looked at Lionel, Soledad, and Drew, and then I stood up. Maybe he had been heavily discouraged by the situation in front of us and isolated himself to think about it.

Nonetheless, I told the others to keep watch as I made my way after Harley.

* * *

Darkness filled the alleyway Harley had disappeared into. Apart from the occasional strewn trashcan, the place was empty and eerily silent. Harley was nowhere in sight. I swallowed the hard lump in my throat and called out his name.

No response – at least not the response I expected.

I stopped as the echo of a retch reached my ears. I inhaled sharply, but forced myself forward, turning at the nearby corner.

Harley leaned against the wall. His fusion arm supported his weight, while his other arm pushed against his abdomen. He was turned away from me, but it didn't take me much to realize what he was doing. He gagged forward again, and he threw up whatever had been in his stomach.

The smell of vomit reached my noise, and I breathed through my mouth as I looked down. The pool in front of him was red. But…we hadn't eaten anything red recently-

I froze in place.

Harley lurched forward again, throwing up another mouthful of blood.

Tears pushed against the back of my eyes. I could only imagine what the Chimera Virus was doing to his insides, forcefully changing everything around to fit the new form he would eventually take. I could only imagine the pain he was in, and how the virus practically destroyed him from the inside out.

"Harley…" I murmured.

At that, Harley stopped. His shoulders rose and fell as he took in large gulps of air. Then, he turned around toward me, his eyes dark and tired. Sweat dripped down from his forehead, and small drops of blood covered the tiny hairs that made up his short beard. He looked as if he was set to faint on the spot, but he only closed his eyes and turned away from me again.

"Harley…" I said. I walked toward him.

"I hate throwing up," he said. He let out a chuckle – a forced chuckle. "It damages your teeth and gives you bad breath. Sometimes, I rather just live with the nausea."

"Harley-"

He faced me and rubbed his human arm across his mouth, wiping away any stray drops of blood. Then, he smiled at me – a smile that was just as fake as the chuckle that preceded it.

"We're really stuck, aren't we?" he said. "All those fusions down there…if we don't get mauled just by trying to run through it, then we'll definitely get chased down before we reach the escape pods."

I looked down at that. Right now, Harley's status bothered me more than our blocked path.

"May…"

I met Harley's eyes, which had grown dark again. He let out a sigh, and he gestured for me to follow him.

He led me to an opening in the alleyway that gave us a clear view of a group of army trucks not far from the fusion-covered area. They looked totaled, just like our jeep from before. However, in their back compartments were boxes of dynamite, which had probably been left there in a rush when the trucks' drivers had fled.

"I saw this on our way here. That's probably enough explosives to take out most of those fusions," Harley said, "as long as they're all together during the detonation."

I frowned. "But there would still be enough fusions left over to finish us anyway."

Harley sighed again. I looked over at him and arched a brow. Had he expected that answer?

"Yeah…" he mumbled. "Unless they were drawn away from the area before that, so you could sneak past before they even noticed you were there."

"But, wouldn't that take a person who could lead them away first?" I asked. "Then that person would have to detonate the dynamite themselves. It would be a suicide mission!"

At that, Harley met my gaze.

And he smiled weakly.

Coldness flooded through me as I stared into his eyes – as I realized what he was hinting.

"Harley, no!" I practically yelled. "You can't-"

"May," Harley said firmly, cutting me off. "This is the only way you can get past those fusions and get to the southern district. This is the only way you can survive."

Tears moistened my eyes. "No, Harley! There has to be another way!"

"You said there was no other way."

"There is another way! I was just frustrated! Harley, you can't do this! We're so close! Just hang in there! We'll get you cured-"

Harley closed his eyes and shook his head. His smile was still on his face.

"May," he said. "It's too late for me, and you know it."

I pulled back. I gasped for air, as if I was having an asthma attack. I wanted to tell him that he was wrong – that he still had a chance like the rest of us. But, when he opened his eyes and looked at me, I could see the firmness in his face, like his decision was final and there was no swaying him from it.

"I'll lead the fusions away," Harley said. "I'll bring them all over here, and as you guys sneak through the opening toward the southern district, I'll…" He faltered, but then he straightened himself and looked at the dynamite. "I'll make sure they can't chase you."

My shoulders shook. I just wanted to grab onto him and keep him in place, so that he couldn't move, so that he couldn't go and kill himself for our benefit.

But, before I could, his arms wrapped around me. He pulled me into his chest – into his warm, securing hold – and I found myself unable to speak or move as tears fell from my eyes. I just stayed there in his arms, feeling him lay his chin against my forehead, his warm breath comforting despite the situation.

"I have to stay," he whispered. "And you have to keep going."

I choked back another sob.

"Thi-this is insane," I managed to get out.

Harley pulled away enough to where I could look into his eyes. Deep, and powerful. While Drew's eyes had always reminded me of a dragon, Harley's were more wolf-like. It fit him; a warrior protecting his pack - his _family_ - even if that meant his own sacrifice.

He brushed his thumb over my cheek, wiping away a tear.

"May," he said. "This is the sanest thing I've ever done."

I said nothing after that. I couldn't.

Because Harley was too stubborn to die.

But he was also stubborn enough to throw that away for the rest of us.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Dx

DDx

DDDx

-bawls-


	22. Remembrance

Hey peoples...

Next chap.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 22: Remembrance**

* * *

Harley and I emerged from the alleyway minutes later. My face felt warm from the tears I had shed, but I held the rest in, remembering the favor Harley had asked me to do before he left. If I cried again, Soledad would catch on that something was wrong. So, I firmed myself and shot a look at my venusaur as she walked beside me. I had released her before we moved out of the alleyway. She also knew of the plan and Harley's favor – and was just as hesitant as I was to go through with it.

But, she understood when I said that we couldn't change Harley's mind. This reflected in her silence.

Drew, Soledad, and Lionel still stood at the top of the road and looked down into the fusion-covered area it declined toward. At the sound of our footsteps, Soledad was the first to turn around. Her eyes brightened at the sight of Harley.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Harley nodded, his smile weak. "Yeah, I'm fine, Sol."

Drew and Lionel turned around as well. They both sighed as they saw Harley back and perfectly human, relief clearly evident on their faces. I almost frowned at the fact that neither of them knew about Harley's plan.

That _Soledad_ didn't know…

A stinging lump developed in my throat. I swallowed it, stifling a grimace; it felt like a rock as it slid down.

Stick with the plan, I told myself. I didn't want to see Soledad's reaction to this anymore than Harley did.

"Soledad?" Harley said.

She looked at him. "Yeah?"

Harley faltered. He looked at the ground, and then he met her eyes again. "I…" He sighed. "I remember when we first started dating. I was nervous as hell – the calm and collected Soledad Sierra with a guy like me? It was a dream come true, really. You were my best friend when we were kids…and you were one of the few people who understood me even with my ways. When I was away from you – when we were separated – I felt alone, like I had no one. But, when you were with me…I felt like the luckiest guy on the planet. You were so strong, brave, and beautiful, that when you walked into the room I forgot everything related to coordinating and focused my attention on you. And, if you remember how I was when May and Drew were still kids, such a thing seemed like an oxymoron.

"I remember how I made a total idiot out of myself during our first date, but you only laughed it off and gave me as many chances as I needed until I felt like I made it up to you. When you agreed to marry me, I felt complete, that I finally had a place in the world where I truly belonged. All the years after that…just being with you…coordinating became a career, while you became my life."

Soledad's eyes softened. "Harley…" She chuckled. "That's the same speech you gave at our wedding."

The edges of Harley's lips twitched upward. "Is it? Well, there's nothing wrong with reminding you how much I love you – and how I'll always love you."

"Harley…" Soledad shook her head. "Why are you talking like this, anyway?"

Harley didn't say anything. Instead, he grabbed Soledad by the shoulders, pulled her in, and kissed her.

Soledad froze – surprised, probably – but it didn't take long before she wrapped her arms around him and reciprocated the kiss, as if all questions had immediately left her mind with the feeling of his lips on hers.

Drew blinked. He opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped when I looked at him. His brows knitted together as he examined my face – my expression – and despite the evident bewilderment in his eyes, he said nothing as he turned his attention away from Harley and Soledad.

I looked back at Harley and Soledad. They continued to kiss, and I watched as Harley's hands moved to her back. Then, one hand slid down just an inch.

The signal.

I closed my eyes. "Venusaur," I whispered. "Sleep powder."

I could hear Venusaur shift from beside me, as if debating on whether to listen to me or not. But, when I opened my eyes, she had already tilted the flower on her back toward Soledad. A sparkling, blue powder shot out from the center in the shape of a ray. Silently, the powder reached Soledad's back, going through her shirt and touching her skin.

At that, Harley pulled away. He brushed her cheek with his finger.

"I love you, Soledad," he said.

And she went limp in his arms.

Drew's eyes widened. "What the hell are you doing?"

Harley didn't answer. He cradled Soledad in his arms, carefully lowering her to the ground. Her eyes were closed, and despite the situation all around us, she would definitely stay asleep for the next hour or so.

"I'm sorry, Sol," Harley murmured. He brushed his finger against her cheek again. "I know that you wouldn't have let me go, though. Don't forget what I said…don't forget me."

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. Then, he looked at Drew and, despite his confusion, Drew understood his silent command and took his place, cradling Soledad while Harley stood up.

"What's going on?" Lionel asked.

I sighed. "We have a way of getting past those fusions."

"But in order for it to work," Harley said, "you all have to go on without me."

* * *

Harley and I explained the plan. When we were done, Drew and Lionel looked as if they couldn't decide whether to hold Harley down and stop him from doing it, or allow him to follow through on it just like I was.

Ultimately, Drew and Lionel remained silent, mirroring my tolerant expression. Drew continued to cradle Soledad in his arms, looking down at her every few seconds, as if wondering how this would all play out in the end. I couldn't blame him – I forced myself not to distract my thoughts with ideas of what Soledad would do when she woke up and realized that Harley was-

I shook my head.

Harley walked up to my side and met my eyes. I read his face – the firm frown on it told me everything.

It was time for him to go.

I forced my gaze to the ground. Tears pushed against the back of my eyes, but I held it in as Harley walked up to Lionel.

"Be careful," Harley said to him. "And thank you for everything."

Lionel nodded, his eyes glossy. "Yeah…no problem, Harley."

Harley patted him on the shoulder. With the fact that Lionel had only been a part of our team since we first arrived in Enfer, Harley's short goodbye to him made sense. Still, it was as evident as daylight that Lionel struggled to maintain stability; it looked like he wanted to protest – say something that could prevent Harley from doing this. But, he said nothing.

Drew looked up as Harley approached him. I walked over and held Soledad, and Drew stood up.

"Harley…" he said. "I…"

Harley shook his head. "It's amazing how much you've grown, Drew. It feels like only yesterday when you were that lone boy with the roselia, but now I look at you..." He smiled. "I'm…proud. Please, look after Soledad and May for me."

"I will," Drew said. "I…I…Just…thank you."

Harley nodded. Then, somewhat hesitant at first, he moved closer to Drew and embraced him. Slowly, Drew returned the hug, tightly closing his eyes as he did, and I could tell that, despite the personal rivalry that had always existed between him and Harley, he stifled tears.

When Harley let go, Drew took Soledad from me, and I faced Harley. He examined my face, and a stray tear slid down my cheek. His eyes seemed to follow it until it fell from my chin. He met my gaze.

"The more I think about this," Harley said, "the more I think of the past. When I remember how I treated you like shit when you were first starting out as a coordinator, I can't help but wonder if I'm honestly worth your tears."

At that, I embraced Harley and buried my face into his chest.

"You're worth every single one of them," I said.

His arms wrapped around me. That sensation of warmth spread throughout my body – affection that reminded me of my father's hold; a feeling that gave me confidence, clashing against the fear within me like light against the dark. Still, my eyes were wet, because the only thing I could think about was that, after this, I would never be able to feel these things from Harley Davidson ever again.

I closed my eyes. I wished that I could just freeze time, and stay like this for as long as I wanted.

"I love you," I whispered against his shirt.

"I love you too, May," he said.

I felt his lips brush against my forehead – a soft kiss.

Then, he pulled away and smiled at me. It was a forced smile, but a smile nonetheless. He unhooked his belt from around his waist, which held his pokeballs, and handed it to me. I took it, brushing my fingers over the minimized containers. I wondered how Cacturne and his other pokemon would react to this, but I knew that if I released them, they wouldn't let him go just as much as Soledad wouldn't have.

"Soledad and I didn't know if it was going to be a boy or a girl yet," Harley said, shaking his head, "but when its old enough, make sure it gets my pokemon."

I frowned at that. What did he mean? I looked over at Soledad. My eyes scanned her sleeping figure, and I stopped when I reached her stomach. At that, Harley's words finally clicked in, and my jaw nearly dropped.

_Oh Arceus, no…_

But when I turned around to face Harley, he had already left, heading toward the fusion-covered area.

* * *

Drew, Lionel, and I got into position. While I had returned Venusaur to her pokeball, I had released Blaziken to carry Soledad, since her strength would be able to handle her weight, whereas Drew would've been slowed by it. We all ducked behind the edge of the declining road, and I watched as Harley approached the fusions down below.

He grabbed a piece of wood from the ground, and he pulled out a lighter from his pocket and lit it, to where it resembled a torch. A weapon to hold the fusions' attentions…and to also ignite the dynamite.

I swallowed hard at that, but remained silent. There was no turning back now, and I stifled the pain that came with that fact.

Harley paused, as if hesitant. But then he stepped forward.

"Hey!" he yelled. His voice echoed throughout the area.

The fusions stopped. They perked their heads up and glared at Harley. One by one they began to snarl, showing fangs that dripped with saliva, like liquidized hunger.

"You hungry?" Harley asked. "Then come and get me, you ugly sons of a bitch!"

At that, the fusions roared, and they stumbled over one another as they rushed toward Harley.

Harley spun around and ran in the opposite direction, carrying the torch above his head. The entire horde of fusions followed him.

"Come on," Drew said.

We got up and ran. We headed down the road and into the now empty area, crossing it until we were on the other side. I could see the road continue on, passing through more buildings. It seemed to stretch all the way to where the dome touched the ground.

I turned back around. I could see the back of the fusion horde as they chased Harley, but I couldn't see Harley; the monsters obscured him like a dark wave.

In those few seconds, I prayed. I prayed to Arceus that I would see Harley turn around and come back to us – that we would all run down the road to the escape pods and he would still be with us by the end of it. When the horde disappeared behind another decline, I could feel my heart beat against my chest, as if Harley was going to come back – as if it was obvious that he would. That he wouldn't leave Soledad. That he wouldn't leave Drew or Lionel. That he wouldn't leave his pokemon. That he wouldn't leave me.

But, all those thoughts fell to dust when I saw the explosion.

A burst of flames and smoke rose up from the distance, like a monster rising from hell itself. The loud roar of the detonation reached my ears, nearly blocking out the cries of the fusion pokemon it consumed. I nearly stumbled, feeling heat prance across my face, as if the explosion had been right next to us.

After that, nothing came back up the hill.

Nothing.

"No…" I mumbled, watching as the cloud of fire rose higher and higher. I stepped forward. "No…"

Because, despite everything, I still couldn't believe it. I refused to.

"Harley!" I screamed. I ran toward the cloud. "_Harley_!"

Before I could get far, a familiar pair of arms wrapped around me and pulled me back. I struggled against them, trying to escape – trying to get free so I could run over there, and see if Harley was still alive.

"Harley!" I screamed again.

"Dammit, May!" Drew said, tightening his hold around me. "Stop it!"

"Harley!"

Drew pulled me around, and he stared into my eyes.

"He's gone," he said.

I struggled again. "No, we can still save him! He has to be alive!"

"He's gone!" Drew growled. "_He's gone, May_!"

Slowly, I calmed down. I felt weak in the knees as I realized the truth behind Drew's words. Harley was gone. He wasn't coming back. He had sacrificed himself so we could keep going. Tears threatened to pour from my eyes. I wanted nothing but to drop to the ground again and beat my fist against it until my skin bled. I wanted to scream – to cry out into the air, and for once not care what demons it attracted in the process.

But I knew that I couldn't. I had made a promise to Harley. I wouldn't waste it; I wouldn't make his death be in vain.

I stifled the rest of my pain. Drew nuzzled my cheek softly with his nose.

"Come on," he said, his voice quiet. He looked at the cloud of fire again as it lingered in the air. "Let's…let's just get out of here."

* * *

It wasn't long before we emerged into another opening, having followed the road for as much as we could. A building hugged the dome's wall, marking where the dome descended to connect with the ground. The building in question looked futuristic; silver tiles lined the way to various circular doors. I then realized that these doors were the doors to escape pods, as when a soldier helped strap in a survivor into the seats inside a pod, the door closed and the pod shot off for the surface. Another one would then rise up from beneath the ground, and I assumed that's where all of the escape pods were stored.

Survivors of Kruismara's attack lined up along the different paths designated for each set of escape pods. Armed soldiers patrolled the crowds, some making sure all people and pokemon stayed in line; while others helped fill the escape pods, closed them when they were full, and sent them to the surface, where I assumed they would all meet up at Lilycove or someplace similar. Military-based pokemon – consisting of such species as arcanine and ursaring – kept watch in various posts along the tops of nearby buildings, dressed in leather-like armor, just like their human partners.

I looked around. Tents had been placed all over the area. Military tents, I could tell, aiding to wounded soldiers and their pokemon, and providing sanctuary for generals contemplating attack strategies against Kruismara and the rest of the fusions.

I looked at Blaziken. She still held Soledad in her arms, and I was thankful that the effects of sleep powder were strong, able to last through most circumstances. Soledad would be asleep for a little while longer - and, hopefully, when she woke up, this would all be over.

Blaziken mumbled her name. I nodded at her, and led her toward a nearby soldier.

The soldier stopped in place when he noticed us. He quickly made his way over. I gestured at Soledad, and he turned his attention to her.

"Sleep powder," I told him as he checked her pulse and other medical stats, having evidently been wondering why she wasn't responding to his voice. "She'll be out for another half-hour, probably. Can you make sure she gets to the surface?"

The soldier nodded and grabbed his radio. "Need a stretcher over here," he said into it.

Seconds later, a stretcher was pulled out by two other soldiers, and Blaziken helped them in laying Soledad across it. I looked at Soledad as she slept, and I sighed as I unhooked Harley's pokemon belt from my waist and gently laid it across her, remembering his words.

"And be careful with her," I said. "She's pregnant."

Drew's face paled, and I shook my head at him. The soldiers nodded, not saying a word. They moved ahead, pulling the stretcher with them.

Lionel walked up to me. His eyes darkened as he examined my face.

And he sighed.

"The power plant shouldn't be far from here," he said. "I know that the soldiers wouldn't believe you if you told them about Verdana, but…if you want to go after her, I won't stop you."

I looked him in the eyes.

He read my face again. As if my expression had been the only answer he needed, he nodded.

"I'll stay with Soledad and make sure she gets to the surface okay," he told me, his frown firm. "Go after Verdana."

With that, he left, following after Soledad's stretcher.

I looked at Drew. His face was still pale with the realization that Soledad was pregnant, but, as if that and Lionel's words were motivation enough, he narrowed his eyes and nodded at me.

When all soldiers were turned away, Drew and I ran and slipped into an alleyway. Then, we moved forward, heading toward the tall tube-like structures that consisted Enfer's local power plant. Since Kruismara had yet to leave Enfer – his distant roars were a sign of that – I doubted that Verdana would have left the power plant, as that was one of the few places where she could overpower the city's generator and blow everything up.

We didn't have much longer. Kruismara was almost done with Enfer; the destruction everywhere marked that like written words. If someone didn't stop Verdana now, she would lead Kruismara and the fusions to the surface, and spread the Chimera Virus throughout the regions – until everything was consumed by fear. Since the military was on her side, unaware of whom she really was, Drew and I were the only chance – the only resistance that could put up a fight.

As memories of Harley filled my head, I swore that I would do anything I could to stop this – to stop Verdana.

I halted in place as I thought this over. Drew backtracked and faced me.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I looked at him. "Drew…I…I don't know if we're going to come back from this. Because of that, I don't want you to-"

Drew cut me off when he stepped toward me. He caressed my cheek with his fingertips.

"We were thrown into this together," he told me, his eyes glowing, "and we're going to get out together. Verdana needs to be stopped, and I'll be damned if I'm going to run off while you go and have all the fun. Ten years. It's time I stopped running away."

At that, he smiled at me. I leaned forward and kissed him – one last kiss before we kept going.

_You're not alone._

I wrapped my arms around him, our kiss still strong.

_No, I'm not_.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Are the banks open? _'Cause May and Drew got some hell to pay!_ :[

This story is almost finished. Only about two chapters after this - maybe three if you count the epilogue.

Anyway, see you next chap.


	23. Within the Dark

Hey peoples!

Well, it looks like we might have an extra chapter before this story is over. I had to cut this chapter in half because it would've been too long otherwise. Ah well.

Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 23: Within the Dark**

* * *

The power plant was at least a mile or two in length, and I wouldn't have been surprised if the two tube-like towers that rose over it were just as long in height. Different types of buildings sat in various parts of the area, sharing the grounds with roads and large machinery that I could only assume were involved in the generation of electricity. Smoke billowed from the tops of the towers, which indicated that the entire plant was still in function. But, the area seemed deserted; it matched with the fact that the parking lots were empty.

The silence was unnerving, and the mere size of the place overwhelmed me. It was the perfect hiding spot - where Verdana could take refuge until Kruismara was done and it was time to overpower Enfer's main generator.

"Any idea where Verdana would be?" Drew asked, his voice a whisper, because despite how barren the plant was, we still had to be cautious.

I shook my head as we made our way along the gate that surrounded the plant from all sides. The ground was littered with signs warning civilians of the plant's jurisdiction – non-employees on the territory would be fined as trespassers, definitely during closing hours. I frowned with the irony of it all; there were bigger crimes to deal with right now than trespassing, but I pushed the thought aside, as there was no sense of law here to punish us either way.

When we reached an opening in the gate, I hugged the wall and looked around the corner.

The area was definitely empty, I noted. I scanned my eyes over the various buildings inside, determining which one would most likely house Verdana. There was a tall structure that didn't stand far from one of the plant's towers, and the various machinery that ran from it, connecting it to other metallic structures across the grounds, as well as disappearing into the ground altogether, gave me the sense that that was the main building, or at least one of the surface gateways to the tubes that ran beneath Enfer and, ultimately, to the city's main generator.

I gestured at the building to Drew. Before I could make my way forward, though, Drew grabbed my arm and pulled me back as soon as I took one step through the gate's threshold.

Drew threw a nod toward a long pole that stood a few feet away from the gate. I looked up, and I noticed the camera that was perched on its top, moving from side to side as it surveyed the area. Similar poles were placed in different parts of the plant, with working cameras on top of each, sending what they saw back to whoever had turned them on. Remembering our situation at the Citadel, it didn't take much for me to figure who controlled the cameras – and how she practically saw every inch of the plant because of them.

"Verdana didn't assign any soldiers as guards," Drew whispered in my ear, his hand still on my arm as he loomed over me from behind, "but she has cameras within every few feet of this place?"

"A soldier would be able to catch on to what she was doing," I whispered back. "And then the whole military would be at her door. At least through cameras she can tell if anyone's approaching the plant – and without any backtalk."

Drew nodded. "We need the element of surprise here. How do we get past this? Sneak our way to the building?"

I met his eyes and smiled weakly.

"As Harley would say…'we gotta do it, ninja-style.'"

* * *

Surprisingly, it was easier to sneak past the cameras than I had thought. Maybe Verdana hadn't heightened her security as much as she could, arrogant enough to believe that no one would figure out that she was behind everything – and that anyone who did know was already dead.

We would definitely have the element of surprise, and in more ways than one.

Once Drew and I reached the door to the suspected building, we hid in the shadows and waited for the nearby camera to pass its gaze over us. After it did, we pushed open the door, surprised, for a second time, at the fact that it wasn't locked. Verdana was really arrogant, it seemed.

The building looked bigger on the inside than it did on the outside, though that impression didn't stay for long. The whirring sounds of running machines played in the background like speaker music, quiet enough to where I could still hear Drew whenever he whispered to me. I led him down a thin passageway that seemed to head downward, like a ramp, surrounded by metallic tubes and other shapes that made me feel like I was traversing the inside of a submarine. I had to walk carefully to ensure that my steps didn't echo off the walls and alert anyone ahead that we were here, but that was hard to do since the catwalk beneath us seemed to settle with each step we took, its metal bars groaning in protest to our weight.

Eventually, I could see an opening up ahead. Drew and I stopped at the corner, and I looked around it and into the large room beyond. Lights glowed brightly from the ceiling, illuminating the tiled flooring that contradicted the catwalk we stood on. Apart from that, various monitors covered the wall, and multiple ramps led up to certain computer screens, as if more than one person was supposed to work down in this area. The screens themselves showed different program results and statuses, as well as the feeds from the cameras outside.

A figure stood in front of it all. A long, white lab coat; brown-colored hair that curled past her shoulders; and a proud stance that no longer made me feel amazed, but instead angry at the arrogance that radiated from it.

I bared my teeth at Katherine Verdana, somewhat wishing that she would turn around and see me – just so she could face the fact that she had a reason to be scared just as much as I did.

But, I only pulled back and leaned against the wall. I looked at Drew. He frowned firmly at me and nodded.

I reached into my pocket, fingering the pokeball that I knew belonged to Blaziken. Verdana was just standing there, as if waiting for something to happen – waiting to see Kruismara roar over the ruins of Enfer City; a clear sign that he was done with his 'training' and ready to be sent to the surface. Then, she would blow up whatever remained, and escape while any innocent survivors that were still trapped down here perished in the blast.

My fingers tightened around Blaziken's ball.

I had a clear shot. I just had to send Blaziken out and order her to use flamethrower-

"May and Drew. How nice of you to visit."

I froze in place. Drew's eyes widened as well.

And Verdana's laugh echoed from behind the wall.

"No sense in hiding," she said. "I know you're there. You didn't sneak past my cameras as well as you thought. Please, come out and say hello."

I swallowed my shock and walked out into the open, my hand still in my pocket, my fingers still wrapped around Blaziken's pokeball. Drew was right behind me, his hand close to mine, as if he prepared himself to grab it and move me in case Verdana somehow tossed an attack in our direction.

Needless to say, I feared that, too.

But, instead, Verdana only turned around to face us. Her skin was pale, but her brown eyes glowed with malice behind her glasses. A grin spread across her face.

"I'm amazed," she said. "Out of everything I threw at you, you still managed to survive, even when it came to Kruismara himself. You two have ambition – I like that. But…" She frowned. "Is it only you two? Where are your friends? Soledad, Lionel, and…" Her lips twitched upward. "Harley?"

"Harley's gone!" I snarled. The light in her eyes made me sick to my stomach with an uneasy feeling, and I lowered my voice to a hiss. "But you already know that, don't you?"

Verdana laughed. "I…had an idea. Ever since I saw that bite wound on his shoulder when you all met me at the Citadel, I knew it had to come from one of my fusions – and that it wouldn't be long before the Chimera Virus spread throughout his system and changed him. Tell me, did he look scary when he shifted? Did he hunt you like a monster? Oh, how I wish I was there to watch."

"He swore that you wouldn't take him alive," I said, "and he died before you could."

Verdana narrowed her eyes at that. "Pity. He would've made a nice addition to my army. What a waste, what a waste…definitely since you were so close…"

She trailed off as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial. Inside of it was a green-colored liquid, and she swished it around playfully.

"Definitely since you were so close…" she said, grinning at me. "To this."

Weakness flooded me as I realized what the liquid was.

The cure for the Chimera Virus.

I wanted to scream – to throw myself at her and rip her apart with my bare hands. But, I held myself back. "You're not going to get away with this!" I yelled.

Verdana rolled her eyes. "And who's going to stop me? You? Or your pretty-boy boyfriend right next to you? Tell me, May and Drew, have either of you killed someone before? Another human being? Would either of you have the courage to do so, no matter who that person was?"

I grit my teeth, but I couldn't find myself to answer. Drew was just as silent, and when I glanced at him, he firmed his jaw with restraint.

"Pathetic," Verdana said. "The idea of killing someone else is always scary, because death in general is scary, even when you, yourself, are not the one experiencing it. The fusions and Kruismara thrive on that fear mortals give off, because when you're stuck in a dark corridor all alone, there's no one to hold your hand and fill you with lies that something doesn't sit in the darkness, waiting for you to pass, waiting for you to turn your back so they can get you. In that case, death – endless dark – is inevitable, because fear is inevitable. Suppress it all you want; it'll only make the monsters happier when they finally consume you alive. Monsters don't feel fear – they don't hesitate when it comes to killing someone, because all they can think about is the look in their prey's eyes when they face them, and the entertainment that comes with it."

She laughed again.

"I'm sure Harley was scared before he died," she purred. "How deliciously _satisfying_."

At that, I ran for her. I didn't care if I couldn't kill her. Right now, all I thought about was wiping that smile off her face – making her regret ever saying those words, ever creating Kruismara and the fusions, ever bringing innocent people and pokemon down here so she could use them, and the entire city, as test subjects for her monsters.

I wanted to make her regret ever taking Harley away from us.

But, I couldn't get close to her, because a gun was pointing at me before I could even reach the steps to her platform.

Verdana shook her head, tightening her hold on the pistol that she had pulled out of her other pocket. "Stupid girl," she said. "You're so naïve, but yet I still have to commend you for getting this far, even if you didn't have big enough brains to run away while you had the chance."

"And what?" I hissed. "Let you go to the surface with Kruismara and the rest of the fusions? Watch you destroy the regions with your plague? Watch you build an empire out of fear, _because you're nothing but a coward yourself_!"

"Watch your mouth!" Verdana snapped.

"How can you rule a world of monsters when you look just as 'entertaining' as the rest of us?" I asked, my eyes locked with hers. "Get close to one of those fusions, and you'll become the perfect midnight snack. I've never heard of a 'fearless' ruler who has to keep one eye open at night!"

"Do you honestly think I haven't thought of that?" Verdana said. "Yes, I am mortal, just like you, and my perfect hunters would only be able to see that part of me, unfortunately. However…" She grinned. "I can easily fix that, if I was one of them."

My face fell at the idea, but I shook it off. "Oh yeah? Inject yourself with the virus, then, but I've also never heard of a ruler who can't think of anything else but hunting and eating human and pokemon flesh. You can't 'control' anything when you don't have the humanity to do so."

Verdana snorted. "I'm a scientist for a reason, May. All these possibilities were considered when the Chimera Virus was developed, and all these possibilities were solved.

"The cure for the virus," she said, pulling out that familiar vial, swishing around the green liquid again, "was created during the first stages of the Chimera Project as a way of fighting off the virus in case one of the members on the team was accidentally bitten. If he or she was bitten, the only thing they would have to do was inject themselves with a small amount of this, and it would combat the virus, preventing it from changing them, and also reversing any changes that had already occurred, no matter how far into the transformation the person in question was. The cure for the virus was also planned to be used as a bargaining tool, for when the fusions and Kruismara were released onto the world. If I wanted a region or service fully beneath my control, I would only have to offer a batch of this cure; any leader would eventually crack for the chance to save his or herself or their families, I believe. Save themselves from turning into monsters, because that is an awfully scary way to go, don't you think?"

I growled, but Verdana only pushed it away with a laugh.

"But," she then said, meeting my eyes again, "that wasn't the true purpose of the cure."

She put her gun down on the table in front of her. Despite this, I couldn't run to her, because there was still enough space between us to where she could easily point the gun at me before I reached her.

"The true purpose of the cure," she continued, "was to be changed until it could work _with_ the Chimera Virus. When it could do that, it could be aimed at certain properties of the virus, such as how the virus physically changed a person, to prevent that symptom of the infection to occur. In this case…" She chuckled. "Certain batches of the cure were remodeled, to where, when a person or pokemon was infected with the Chimera Virus, they would physically change, gaining the attributes, appearance, and senses of a fusion. However, the cure, when mixed in with it, would destroy the property that would take away the mental changes of the virus, so that the recipient would maintain his or her humanity even with the change of body."

Weakness flooded me.

"In simpler words," Verdana said, "someone could be changed into a monster, but still be themselves inside – still be in control. They would be able to communicate and understand with both regular humans and pokemon, as well as with fusions, and control whichever however they pleased."

I shook my head. My heart hammered against my chest.

"Of course, it hasn't been tested yet," Verdana said. "But…" She smiled at me. "May and Drew, did either of you wonder why I let you come down here? Why I simply stood here while you came to confront me?"

I only met her eyes.

"As I said," she added, "monsters don't feel fear."

With that, she reached into her pocket and pulled out what looked like another gun. However, a vial was attached to the top, though this one was filled with a purple liquid instead of a green one. Through the back, she poured the cure for the Chimera Virus into the vial that contained the purple liquid, and as I saw the two substances mix together, I realized that the purple liquid was the virus itself.

Verdana brought the gun to her face and stared at the mixed liquids.

"To a monster," she said, "the best part of hunting is seeing the fear on their prey's face as they chase them down."

She looked at me.

I reached forward, my eyes widened. "Don't-!"

But it was too late. Verdana stabbed the needle that protruded from the gun into her arm, injecting the entire vial into her bloodstream – the virus and the cure. As she did so, she laughed. She clenched her fist as the skin on her arm began to bubble.

She fell to her knees, and the skin on her arms began to shift, until it ripped like paper, revealing scales underneath that then came up to take its place. Her hair fell out in clumps as her face contorted, morphing, moving forward until it resembled a snout. Her clothes tore as her back came up, growing in size, the rest of her attire falling to shreds beneath her transformation. Seconds later, she was barely recognizable, and she slowly rose from the ground in her new form.

I could identify the body structure and stance of a feraligatr; though her scales and spikes were darker in color, practically black. A rhydon's horn protruded from the center of her forehead, and the bone-like markings of a houndoom covered her neck, arms, and legs. The scythes of both a scyther and a kabutops sprouted from her back, carried on thin limbs like extra arms, and they whipped around from side to side, like the charizard-based flame that burned brightly at the end of her long tail. To go along with that, a typhlosion's fire erupted from her spine, until it resembled a blinding mane, and the tusks of a donphan protruded from the corners of her mouth.

Verdana now towered over me, and I nearly stumbled back as she opened her eyes.

Red didn't engulf them like they did to a mindless fusion. Instead, they only colored her irises, and I could tell that Verdana still had control – that the glare she gave me was all her own.

She opened her mouth, revealing large fangs, and let out a roar. Then, one of her scythes came forward, and I jumped back as it stabbed my prior position, impaling the tiled ground as if it was nothing.

Drew grabbed my arm and pulled me back from her, and we both stared as she came down the platform's steps and approached us.

"Run," she muttered, her voice telepathic, yet filling the room like a spoken one. Her tone was slow, gothic, reminding me of the languid words of a serial killer.

Or that of a monster.

"Run," she said again, standing tall, her eyes fixated on Drew and I as her scythes snapped around like hungry predators. "Run, _so I can chase you_!"

And as her scythes shot for us, we got up and ran.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Final battle will continue in the next chapter. See you there!


	24. Chase the Light

Hey peoples!

Long chapter is long. But, we got the conclusion of the final battle here. :D

Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 24: Chase the Light**

* * *

"May, this way!"

Drew pulled me toward the way we came – the ramp that led back to the power plant on the surface. Right behind us, Verdana snarled, and I jumped as a loud clang erupted from behind me - the horrific sound of one of her scythes slashing against the metal wall in my place. The rush of steam confirmed that she had severed a pipe, and this only made her growl louder with the realization that she hadn't hit me instead.

I tried my best to keep up with Drew. I could practically feel Verdana breathing down my neck – for every four steps we took, one single step put her back right behind us. She was too close; I couldn't send out one of my pokemon – not without the risk of Verdana biting them or knocking them to the side like ragdolls. If I stopped for one second, Verdana's claws would be around me faster than I could blink.

Another growl. Then, the catwalk groaned, and I felt it shake beneath my feet. It was as if a gigantic weight had been lifted from it, and the next thing I knew, I nearly ran into Drew's back when he stopped in place. I felt his muscles tense, and I looked past him.

Verdana rose, and she now stood in front of him. I glanced behind me, and I realized that she had jumped straight over us, cutting our path. Though the passageway was thin, it wasn't short, and could easily support doing such a thing.

The corners of her lips twitched upward into a sinister smile. "Why so scared, Drew?" she purred, her telepathic voice more unnerving than her vocal one. "You look like you've just seen a monster."

Drew bared his teeth at her, grabbed my arm again, and spun around to run in the other direction. I followed without hesitance, and it wasn't long before heavy stomps from behind signified Verdana's pursuit.

She had us trapped. If she really wanted us dead, we would be dead already. But, no, she held back, because she was playing with us. We were nothing but prey to her; she could easily kill us both, but, as she said, she would find more entertainment in chasing us down than slaughtering us on the spot.

At the thought, nausea washed over me. I stifled it, though, and frantically looked around for an alternate route when Drew and I emerged back into the large computer room.

"Please don't make this too easy, May and Drew," Verdana said, her voice echoing from down the passageway, sounding closer by the second. "I'm giving you a head start. Why aren't you using it?"

I grit my teeth.

"Over there!" Drew said. He pointed at a small opening in the corner of the room, hidden away by computers, which explained why I hadn't seen it before.

We ran for it, and it led to another thin passageway that mirrored the submarine-like design of the one before it. Red-colored lights glowed dimly from the walls, illuminating everything in an eerie, crimson vibe. I felt like I was traversing a haunted house – or a shipwrecked vessel, where the monster that had consumed the crew still stalked its halls. I saw an opening up ahead, and I took the lead, keeping a firm hold on Drew, as the echoes of Verdana's closing footsteps followed us.

I struggled to stop, though, when we emerged into the room, and the metallic floor beneath our feet ended abruptly at an edge. A rail thankfully halted us before we could fall off. I took a few seconds to identify the surroundings; the room was huge – a cylindrical tower, where the rail I held traced the edge of a long ramp heading to a platform at the bottom of the structure. It was at least a mile downward. I could tell that it was the entryway to the tunnels that ran beneath Enfer - and to the city's main generator.

"We don't have any other options," Drew said, breathless.

I met his eyes, and I nodded.

Drew and I began to make our way down the ramp. A roar from Verdana followed shortly after, filling the entire tower.

"May!" she called out. "Drew! Where are you?"

Her singsong tone made my fists clench. She knew where we were; she was playing with us again.

When Drew and I made it to the bottom of the tower, my chest ached with fatigue. But, I pushed it aside, and shot a glance upward.

And right as Verdana dived toward me from above.

My eyes widened. She had jumped from the very top floor, and I rolled out of the way before she landed. She kneeled, and I thought that the long drop had done damage, but she then stood up with as much ease as before, and a smirk tugged at her lips as she flashed her fangs at me.

She stepped out from the large indent her landing had made in the metallic ground, her eyes never leaving me. "Sucks being human, doesn't it?" she said.

I glared at her, but Drew pulling me forward stopped me from doing something I'd regret.

We ran into the large, gaping entrance that marked the beginning of Enfer's underground tubes. The area mirrored the tunnel of a subway train, but its size easily outmatched the width of the tower that had brought us down here. Bright bulbs covered the ceiling in a thin straight row, which provided enough light for me to see that the entire tube was empty. I remembered Ellis' words – if Enfer's underground tubes did house fusions and Kruismara when he was in hiding, then they weren't here now, and I was glad for that as Drew and I quickened our speed to avoid Verdana's scythes.

"You're faster than I thought," Verdana said, letting out another laugh. "Well, let's make this a little more fun, then."

I looked over my shoulder. Verdana stopped and turned her eyes to the lights that covered the ceiling. She met my eyes, grinned, and raised her arm to shoot a ray of electricity from her claw. The bolt made contact with the bulbs, and the entire area fell into darkness as the bulbs flickered in and out, and then died altogether.

My breath caught in my throat. I couldn't see anything. Only pitch black, and the occasional spark of stray electricity from the circuits above. Verdana's laugh filled the air. I tried to look for her tail flame – or the glow from her mane – but I couldn't see anything. She sounded close, too, and I had to wonder if she could suppress the fires on her body.

"You're fear…" Verdana's voice echoed, and I looked around in search of any sign of her. Nothing. I couldn't even see Drew; despite that his heavy breathing confirmed he was right next to me. "You're fear is so enticing," Verdana said. "So delicious. I can smell it – I can taste it. It radiates from you both like sunlight. Your mortal eyes can deceive you in the dark. But I? I can thrive in it. I can hunt in it. It just comes to prove that you never know…"

A hot breeze brushed against my shoulder.

I froze.

"…what _really_ goes bump in the night," Verdana whispered in my ear.

I turned my head, and met her red gaze.

She grinned deviously.

I yelped, jumping back. Drew hissed a curse from beside me, having not even realized that she was there. I backed up, struggling to feel something – anything that I could use for guidance in this dark. I couldn't feel anything, though.

Verdana only laughed again. Her voice grew distant, and I couldn't tell if she had moved away from us.

"May?" I heard Drew call out. "May-"

He cut off his own sentence with a groan. I heard another laugh from Verdana, and the echo of something smashing against the wall.

Fear flooded me. "Drew? _Drew_?"

Electricity flashed from above, illuminating the area.

My eyes widened.

Verdana had grabbed Drew. She pinned him against the wall, baring her fangs at him, saliva dripping from her jaw. Drew struggled against her grip, but she held his arms, and her size alone prevented him from doing anything else.

"Drew!" I yelled, and I ran for him.

Verdana glared at me. She moved one of her claws in my direction, shooting out another bolt of electricity. It hit me and I cried out. I fell to my knees, shaking as the bolt shot through me, the pain nearly blinding me.

"Stupid girl," Verdana said. She looked back at Drew. "You got quite the handsome fellow here for a boyfriend, now that I think about. You need to learn to share." She smiled at him. "You'd make a nice addition to my fusion army, anyway. How would you like to join?"

Drew struggled against her. His eyes strayed downward, and his eyebrows slightly rose at the sight of an object on the ledge Verdana pushed him against. He looked back at her.

"I'd rather be dead," he muttered.

She shook her head and grinned. "Oh, don't be like that, Drew. You'll like it – the power is delicious to have." She leaned in toward him and revealed her fangs. "This will only hurt a bit."

With that, she reached to bite him on the shoulder. He struggled even more against her grip. He managed to get his fist free, and he punched her in the jaw. She reared back, but quickly lunged forward and grabbed him again.

But not before he grabbed the object he had seen.

"Quite the feisty one, aren't you?" she said, narrowing her eyes at him, not noticing the object as he hid it in his hand. "Don't you want to have this power? Being a fusion has its benefits, my boy. It may not seem appealing at first, but trust me; the good easily outweighs the bad in this case. It's better to just give in than fight me. I can break you like a twig, you know."

"Arrogant bitch," Drew hissed.

Verdana growled at that, but forced a smile. "Are you that in denial? You're just as big a fool as Harley was. I mean…Harley should have lived – he should have become a fusion, a _monster_. It would've fit him, don't you think? He looked like he would've made a great monster."

Drew snarled. "_Harley would have never been a monster like you_!"

With that, he freed his wrist, and stabbed Verdana in the eye with the object in his hand.

Verdana cried out and stumbled back. Blood spurted out from her punctured eye, the object still gruesomely protruding from it. It was a metal fragment – a remnant from construction, I assumed.

Drew ran for me. I struggled to move, but a big sense of relief washed over me as the bolt from Verdana's attack finally left my body and disappeared into the ground. Drew helped me up, holding me in his arms.

"You bastard!" Verdana snarled and turned to face us. She reached up and pulled the fragment out of her eye, and that familiar sensation of nausea flooded me as I stared at the gaping hole where her eye had once been, blood still flowing from it freely. "You're gonna pay for this!"

Drew and I stepped back from her.

"No more games," she said. The flame on her tail flared up, as did the fiery mane that stretched along her back. "_It's time I_ _ripped you two apart limb from limb_!"

Then, the overhead lights went out again. I hissed a curse as darkness smothered me, but Verdana's fires gave away her position. She didn't seem to care, and she roared as she lunged for us. Her mane and tail practically painted her actions, and Drew and I could easily avoid her attacks.

"Gouge out both of my eyes," she said. "It won't matter! I can still sense you by your fear!"

She raised her claw and shot out bolts of electricity in our direction.

We dodged it and ran forward, heading further along the tunnel. When we turned at a corner, I saw an opening up ahead. Light emitted from it – as well as a droning sound that became louder the closer we got. I had an idea of what it was, but I didn't see any other alternate routes we could take, so Drew and I headed for it.

We emerged into a large room filled with computers. In the center of the room was a cylindrical container. Windows covered its sides, and the room's main source of light emitted from what was inside of the container. The droning noise seemed to come from there, too. I approached it and looked through the window, where around half a mile down sat a large, glowing object. Electricity surged across its surface, to where it was nearly blinding to look at. Large, metallic rings surrounded the object. They shifted and turned around it, creating that droning noise in their wake.

"Is that…?" Drew began.

"Enfer's main generator?" I inquired. "I think so."

"Maple! Trandafir!"

I jumped, and Drew and I turned around to face Verdana.

"So you found it," she said as she stepped toward us. Her scythes snapped around behind her, and blood still fell from her gouged eye. "The generator for all of Enfer City. These computers" – she gestured to the monitors around us – "all control it, and right now they're set on specific orders to maintain the generator's functions at a certain level. However…" She bared her fangs. "With a click of one of these buttons, I can easily override those commands, and make it so that the generator overpowers, explodes, and takes all of Enfer City with it!"

She met my eyes.

"But…" She chuckled. "I regret to inform you that if I do that, the only one who's going to be leaving here alive will be me."

She raised her claw and shot another bolt of electricity at us. We both rolled out of the way, and Verdana used that distraction to turn around, turn on a computer, and use the sharp nails on her claws to type on its keyboard.

Drew got to his feet and rushed toward her to stop her.

Before he could even get close, she brought her claw around and grabbed his neck. He choked as she hoisted him into the air, where he struggled against her grip.

I reached into my pocket for a pokeball, but Verdana's long tail pinned me to the metal wall of the generator's container. I groaned. She tightened her hold on me.

Verdana looked at me, then at Drew as she kept him suspended in the air. She turned to the computer screen, chuckling as she typed with her free claw.

"Thirty minutes," she said. "That should be long enough for me to paint these walls with your blood and leave, and for Kruismara to escape to shore." She looked at Drew. "Ah, Drew, I would like to save your death for last if I can, so…"

She dropped him. He fell to the ground and gasped for air. She loomed from behind him, smirking as she raised her claw again.

Then, she lunged forward, and impaled him with her nails.

"_No_!" I screamed.

Drew froze, his eyes widened. The color in his irises dimmed as Verdana raised her claw, her nails deep enough in his back to where he practically hung from them. She chuckled at him and threw him to the side, where his back smashed against the wall. He slid down, leaving multiple trails of blood in his wake, and his head lolled downward when he reached the floor, his eyes closed.

He didn't move.

"Drew!" I called out. "_Drew_!"

"Oh, stop your whining," Verdana hissed as she scowled at me. "He'll still be alive after that – unless he's a weakling."

She stepped forward toward me. Her tail still pinned me against the wall. She grinned.

"I just wanted to take care of you first, May Maple. I can only imagine the look of horror on Drew's face when he wakes up – and sees the internal organs of his beloved spread out all over the floor in alphabetical order."

She turned around.

"But," she added, "first thing's first."

She reached forward and hit a key on the keyboard. The thirty-minute timer on the computer flashed and began to count down.

She looked back at me.

"Now, let's see how fast I can kill you."

I bared my teeth at her, and she reached forward to grab me. As she did that, her tail's hold on me loosened, and I used that to slip out of its grasp. She glared at me as I backed away from her. I continued to back away, and my heart jumped when I felt the hard surface of the wall behind me. I bit my lip, and Verdana laughed.

"Trapped in the corner," she said. "Pitiful, but so prey-like."

She lunged for me, and I rolled to the side. She growled when she hit the wall instead. I fell to my back, and she raised her claw to fire another thunderbolt at me. I got up and dodged it, and she quickly turned to face me. I backed away in the opposite direction, and I hissed a curse when I touched a wall again.

Verdana approached me.

My body ached. I didn't know how long I could do this. I wanted to send a pokemon out, but what could Verdana do to them? I feared the possibilities, and it was bad enough I was stuck in this life-death situation. I looked around, searching for an alternative. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something flash in the overhead lights. It looked like another metal fragment – this place wasn't as clean from construction as one would expect – but this fragment was larger. Much larger.

I looked back at Verdana.

Then, I moved for it.

I rolled right as Verdana opened her mouth to unleash a flamethrower. I grabbed the metal fragment. The edge was sharp enough to resemble a blade, and I met Verdana's eyes.

"You're starting to get on my nerves," she muttered. "Stand still."

I frowned. "I thought that'd be too boring for you."

"Well, I got places to be, as you should know. So, would you please just _die_."

She lunged forward, her claw heading toward me. I ducked, and she slashed the computer behind me instead. It burst into an array of wires and sparks. She growled at me, and I circled her, my back soon pressing against the surface of the generator's container. I could feel it vibrate, as if the generator was building up power. A cold feeling shot down my spine, but I suppressed it.

Verdana stood still, her working eye never leaving mine. She lunged forward again, claws raised, and I moved to the side again.

She emitted a cry of surprise when she smashed into the surface of the generator's container. I could hear the metal groan in protest to her weight. A crash followed shortly after as the metal gave away, collapsing and falling toward the generator and its turning rings. Verdana stumbled in place, hanging out of the gaping hole of the generator's container. She slammed her claw into the container's remaining wall, and her other claw grabbed my shirt's collar before I could move. Her nails dug into the flesh of my neck, and I stifled a cry of pain as she pulled me toward her, until we were face to face.

Verdana looked down. If she lost her grip, she'd be sent falling toward the generator. She looked at me, bared her fangs, and tightened her grip on me. If she fell, I would fall too, but her hold on me was required to stay upright.

"Well, isn't this a predicament," she muttered.

My hand reached up and grabbed her arm. I tried to free my collar from her grip, but she was too strong. My other hand held the metal blade. I began to raise it-

"What do you plan to do with that?" she asked. She eyed my face, and a smirk crossed her lips. "You don't plan to kill me, do you?" She laughed. "My dear, May, I can see the hesitance in your eyes. You've never killed someone before, haven't you? You've spent your whole life coordinating and helping pokemon in need. When you first started out, you probably never saw yourself in this position – where you would have to decide on the life or death of another human being. Can you really bring yourself to make that kind of decision – is it really in your blood?"

She leaned in.

"I don't think it is, May. You're not a murderer. You're afraid. It's as obvious as daylight in your face. Kruismara and the fusions…they're all monsters, aren't they? They thrive on fear and they don't hesitate to kill a person. You? Nah, I don't think so. You're not a monster – you and Drew are too stubborn to join my fusion army, so why be a hypocrite to yourself? You really are scared. You're hesitating on killing me. I wonder, if Harley had transformed before he died, would you have killed him?"

My hand shook – the one that held the blade.

"Is this situation any different?" Verdana asked. "Do you have the courage to kill me, or are you too scared? I can't blame you if you are. As I said, the idea of killing another human being is _always_ scary."

At that, I narrowed my eyes. I looked at her claw that held me, and I put the blade against the junction where her forearm met her arm.

She seemed to freeze, as if she hadn't expected that. Her one eye met mine, and I swore that, in it, I saw the very thing she stood for.

Fear.

"You forgot one thing, though," I said to her. "_You're not a human being anymore."_

With one thrust, I sliced the blade across the junction, and her weight seemed to leave me almost instantly. I looked forward, watching her forearm fall to the floor, while she backed up, crying out in pain as the end of her now severed arm glistened with blood. She stumbled, losing her grip on the container's wall.

And then she fell.

I looked down. She reached the turning rings of the generator, and blood spread out everywhere as they shredded-

I turned away, swallowing my urge to gag at the sight.

The ground shook. I looked around. The clock on the computer still read twenty minutes, but yet the generator groaned, its rings coming to a halt, pushing against each other. It was as if Verdana's body had triggered something, and a cold feeling washed over me as fire began to build up in the generator, bursting from the sides.

I felt a hand touch my back. I turned around. My eyes widened.

"Drew!"

Drew nodded at me. He limped slightly, and I could see the blood from his back wounds soak up the bottom of his shirt. He tried his best to stand up straight, though.

"What happened?" he said. "Where's Verdana?"

I looked back at the generator. "She's dead."

Drew blinked, but before he could say anything, the ground shook again. The red emergency lights in the corners of the room flashed. A deep, blaring sound filled the air, reminding me of a siren.

"_Warning,"_ said a robotic voice from above – a computer system of some sort. _"Generator power rate at dangerous levels. Generator power rate at dangerous levels. All personnel, leave the area immediately."_

"We gotta get out of here!" Drew yelled over the alarm.

I nodded. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder so he could use me for support, and we made our way back the way we came. The tunnels were now lit with the crimson glow of the emergency lights, and that robotic voice from before repeated its previous words over and over; its tone echoed down the tunnels and clashed with the sirens:

"_Warning. Generator power rate at dangerous levels. Generator power rate at dangerous levels. All personnel, leave the area immediately."_

Drew and I quickened our pace. When the ground shook again, we turned.

I swallowed hard.

Fire burst from the room where the generator had been. Vents along the wall broke open, smoke billowing out, while flames followed shortly after.

At that, we tried our best to run. Drew held a hand toward the spot where Verdana had impaled him. Whenever I looked at him, he only shook his head and told me to keep going. I followed his order, leading him down the tunnels we had taken, trying to find our way back to the tower and to the surface-

I nearly fell to my knees when the wall imploded a few feet away from us. Smoke and fire piled out from the gaping hole left in its wake.

And so did a roar.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched a nidoking-like form step out from the other side, crushing debris beneath its feet. It was tall enough to nearly touch the ceiling of the tunnel, the alarms' lights giving its bluish-colored scales a glossy look. Its pitch-black eyes looked down at us, bangs from its white mane somewhat obscuring its sight.

"Kruismara…" I whispered.

Kruismara let out another roar. He towered over us, and six tentacruel-like tentacles sprouted from his back, whipping around behind him.

Despite that Verdana was dead, Kruismara was still alive.

An explosion rose from behind us. I looked back and saw a wave of fire crash against the wall of the corner, where it then shifted and shot in our direction.

Kruismara growled and shook his head. His eyes locked onto the approaching fire.

Drew and I ran forward, taking that chance to pass Kruismara.

Kruismara turned and snarled at us. He followed, his footsteps shaking the ground. He seemed more intent on catching us than he did of escaping from the fire. I bit my lip. He was right behind us. The cries of various fusions filled the tunnel, and I glanced back to see them pour out of the same hole Kruismara came in from. However, they were quickly consumed by the wave of fire as it passed by them, but Kruismara didn't seem to care as he continued to chase us.

We soon emerged into the tower, and we didn't waste any time in climbing the ramp. Kruismara ducked his head, and then rose when he entered the room, his size allowing him to reach the top part of the tower without any problem. He followed us with his eyes and he dragged his claw against the ramp, tearing it from its foundation. Drew and I sped up, making it to the top right as Kruismara tore out the last hinge and sent the entire ramp tumbling toward the bottom. He faced us, but before he could make another move, he looked down as the wave of fire from below engulfed his legs. He roared – a cry of pain, and Drew and I escaped into the thin passageway that would lead back to the computer room where we first met Verdana.

We ignored any further roars from Kruismara. He disappeared as we rushed up the ramp that would lead back to the surface. The red lights that hung from the walls flashed, sirens still blaring from above, that robotic voice still trying to speak over it. Drew groaned from the pain in his back, and I tightened my hold around him.

When we reached the top, I kicked the door open, and we ran out into the power plant. The entire area was still empty, but fire had begun to shoot from the ground in various areas, signifying the collapse of Enfer's generator. It wouldn't be long before the explosions would stretch out to consume the entire city.

Another roar. The ground shook again. I looked behind us to see Kruismara burst from the ground. Fire covered him, and he roared out in pain as he struggled to keep his hold and not fall back into the fiery abyss below. His eyes followed us, and the ground gave out beneath him. He fell again, disappearing within a cloud of smoke and fire. Drew and I made our way out of the gate that surrounded the power plant's territory, trying to beat the ground as it collapsed right behind us, only feet away from taking us with it.

We ran for the escape pod station, slipping through the alleyway we had taken before, and emerging into the opening where the pods were located. Soldiers were already pushing any leftover survivors into the escape pods, their nervous eyes following the fires that rose from the distance – from the power plant. I didn't know if they knew what was going on, but I didn't take time to think about it. I ran for an escape pod, and a soldier nodded at us and let us in before he got in himself, gesturing at his comrades to do the same as soon as they could.

The door closed. I braced myself as we shot off. It was just Drew and I, along with the soldier that had joined us, in which he sat at a small control panel toward the front of the pod, controlling where we went. I looked out the window right by our seat; the dome that housed Enfer grew farther by the minute. I could see fires shoot out from various sections of the city, and the dark depths of the ocean suppressed it all to a mere glisten.

"It's over…" I mumbled. I looked at Drew. He met my eyes, breathing heavy, and I leaned my forehead against his. "It's finally over."

I lurched forward when the pod shook. The soldier hissed a curse. I looked out the window.

My eyes widened.

Kruismara was right behind us. His pitch-black eyes narrowed as he shot after our escape pod. It was as if he knew that Drew and I were in this specific one. It was as if he knew that I had killed Verdana, and, ultimately, his fusion children. He opened his mouth, though the water muffled his roar, and he reached forward for us.

However, he was cut off when a large wave of debris and smoke came forward and engulfed him. The pod shook again, though this time it was from a loud noise, like a detonation.

Enfer City had exploded.

The cloud rushed for us, shaking us, and the soldier swallowed hard as he pulled up on a lever and forced the pod to the surface of the water.

When we emerged, I looked out the window again.

Kruismara broke the surface. But, as soon as he did that, a large burst of fire consumed him, rising from below the ocean – from Enfer's detonation. He roared as the flames ate away at him, until I couldn't even see his figure within it anymore.

Then, the aftermath of the blast hit us, sending us flying across the water, the cry of the explosion nearly deafening me.

I fell to the floor. The soldier groaned as he tried to regain our balance. The world swirled around before my eyes. My head felt heavy, and so did my eyelids.

"May? May! Stay with me!"

Drew's voice. That was the last thing I heard before everything went black.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Only one more chapter now. Two, if you count the epilogue.

See you then!


	25. The Strongest Weapon

Hey peoples!

Well, here's the 'last' chapter of YNA. This chap is dedicated to everyone who has stuck with this story up to now. Thanks, guys! I couldn't have done it without your support! :D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 25: The Strongest Weapon**

* * *

Darkness surrounded me. I inhaled sharply and air rushed into my lungs. Clean air. No more smoke. No more debris. No more scents that reminded me of blood, death, and fear. Slowly, a low series of beeps resounded through my head from beside me, as if my ears had managed to clear themselves of whatever had blocked them before. Fogginess? That's what it felt like – confusion, to where I felt dizzy, and I couldn't tell if I was sitting down or standing up.

Where was I? Was I dead?

I inhaled again. If I could recognize any nearby scents, it would help me identify my surroundings. Clean air filled my nose and lingered there, flooding me with a sense of calmness that contradicted the emotions provoked by the smell of the atmosphere in Enfer City. I tried to recognize the scent. _Was_ I dead? If I was, I couldn't tell. I had no idea what the Afterlife smelled like.

"May…? May, are you awake?"

That voice. So familiar. It made my heart jump. My stomach grew warm with affection.

"Drew…" I mumbled, like a reflex.

"May!"

At that, I felt something. A hand on my arm, fingers soft with a touch of concern and desperation. Another scent filled my nose. Roses and mint, and I could hear the heavy breathing as if the owner loomed over me. I knew that scent as if it was a vital part of me. I followed it. Darkness still covered everything, but then light began to intrude from the center of it all, spreading over me until I realized that I had finally mustered the strength to open my eyes.

"Drew," I said again.

The first thing I saw was a pair of emerald eyes. Emerald, dragon-like eyes. They brightened as I stared into them, my vision finally clearing.

"May!" Drew said, a large smile crossing his face. He got up from his chair, in which it slid back slightly from his rush. "You're awake! Thank Arceus!"

My fingers clenched. I felt the smooth materials of a blanket; soft, yet not as soft as blankets I was used to. I looked down – the whiteness of the sheets beneath me felt blinding compared to the darkness from before.

I was in a hospital bed. That beeping sound I had heard earlier originated from a heart monitor that sat beside me, its measurements steady. An IV protruded from my arm, connected to a bag of medical fluids, which ironically didn't help the throbbing pain that seemed to linger from the needle's puncture. The door into the room was closed, muffling any voices from the outside halls. The window curtains were shut, and they blocked out the large rays of sunlight that I could still see through their weaved fibers. The rest of the room was average – not too small, but not too big, and filled with other furniture of various mild-based colors that matched with the plainness of the walls.

"Drew…" I said. It felt as if I hadn't talked for an eternity, but yet Drew hadn't moved from his spot on the chair right beside my bed since I opened my eyes. "Where are we? Where's…where's Enfer City? Where's Kruismara? And…and the fusions? What happened?"

"Shh," was all Drew replied with, his eyes warm, his tone comforting. He brushed his fingers through my bangs and caressed my cheek.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds, relishing in the softness of his touch, remembering the fear I had felt when Verdana stabbed him. I wanted to ask about that, too, but I found myself at a loss for words as I nuzzled my face into his hand, just relieved that he was here.

"It's over, May," Drew said. "We're at the hospital in Lilycove. Our escape pod reached the shore shortly after you passed out."

"Where's Kruismara? Or the fusions?"

"Gone, May. All gone. Enfer City detonated, and it took all of the fusions that were down there with it. So, Verdana is definitely dead, the fusions are all gone, and Kruismara was destroyed in Enfer's blast. Soldiers who went back there said that Enfer is nothing but an underwater crater now, and they can't pick up any signs of fusion existence, including Kruismara. It's over. It's really over, May. We made it."

Relief filled me at that. It was finally over. We had escaped the living hell that had been Enfer City; we had survived Verdana's trap. With the fusions and Kruismara destroyed, the Chimera Virus had been destroyed with them, and Verdana's ideology of a fear-based society controlled by monsters had died alongside it.

I leaned my head back against my pillow. My eyes grew wet, and I couldn't tell if it was from the joy that came with the end of what I thought would've been a never-ending nightmare, or from the pain that shot through me in numerous waves. Still, the aches were nothing compared to the realization that we had lived, that we had survived, that I could now continue on with the rest of my life.

I looked at Drew.

Drew and I could continue our lives. Together.

I pushed the thought aside. "How long have I been out?" I asked.

"A few hours," Drew said, sitting back down on his chair, his hand on mine. "Paramedics immediately met us when we reached Lilycove's shore and brought us here. I remember hearing them say that you passed out, but would be okay in the end. I dozed off myself, and I woke up when they were still tending to my wounds in the other room. As soon as they were finished, I came here to stay with you." He turned his eyes away. "Despite what the doctors said, I was still worried for you. Now that I see your eyes again, I can breathe easy."

I smiled at him. "Such a guardian."

"It's just who I am, I guess."

"How are you feeling?" I asked. I looked at his shirt and saw the shapes of bandages that were wrapped around his midsection and over his back wounds. "I'm sore from all of our running and avoiding fusions and Verdana, but what about you?"

"Well," Drew said. "I would be lying if I said I didn't hurt. But…" He met my eyes. "No pain would compare to what I'd felt if I had lost you."

He reached forward and brushed his fingertip down my cheek again. Needless to say, I wanted nothing but to lean in and kiss him, but I held myself back as another thought came to my mind.

"Where's Lionel?" I swallowed hard. "Or Soledad?"

"They're both fine," Drew said. "Lionel brought Soledad here when their pod hit shore. They're still here, actually. The doctors wanted to admit Soledad to make sure none of the trauma we faced down in Enfer affected…" He faltered, and he let out a deep sigh. "They wanted to make sure none of it affected her baby."

My throat grew tight. I closed my eyes. Memories flashed against the darkness – images of a purple-haired man, his metallic-green eyes glowing and wolf-like. Harley Davidson. My coordinating rival for sixteen years; but, in reality, he had been so much more than that. The memories I had made with him; the relationship we shared; and the fact that, without him, none of us would be here…it all played out in front of me as if the backs of my eyelids made up a large movie screen. My heart ached.

"I miss him…" I whispered, my eyes still closed. "I miss him so much."

"I know…" Drew said. "But we…we made sure his death wasn't in vain. If I knew Harley as well as I thought I did, then…" He cupped my chin, and I opened my eyes to meet his. A soft smile crossed his face. "He would've been proud of you and glad that we were safe. He may not have been my most favorite guy in the whole world at times, but…I was honored to have known him." Drew shook his head. "And, right at this moment, he's probably looking down at us from above, laughing at how corny I'm making all of this sound."

I laughed – a laugh that pushed away my tears, a laugh I released despite how it worsened the pain that shot through me, a laugh that I felt like I hadn't laughed for a decade. It was a laugh that made Drew crack another smile and snort, until he also broke out into laughter.

When our laughter died down, he leaned in and brushed my nose with his. I smiled and returned the affectionate nuzzle.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too."

He pulled back, met my eyes, and mirrored my smile. He leaned in, and I felt his hot breath caress my chin as his lips brushed against mine-

We pulled apart almost immediately when the door into my room opened. A man poked his head in, his coal-colored hair modeled into a short fauxhawk. He didn't seem much older than us, his face angular and smooth. Visible stubble lined his chin and his dark blue eyes had a youthful semblance within them. He raised his brows at us.

"Uh, sorry," he said. "Am I interrupting something?"

Drew and I exchanged a bewildered – and somewhat embarrassed – glance. I shook my head.

The man nodded and stepped into the room. He was tall and mostly thin, though some broadness existed around his midsection and shoulders. The brown trench coat he wore made it hard to tell. He closed the door behind him and approached me. "You two are May Maple and Drew Trandafir, right?"

"Yes," I said.

He pulled a wallet out of his pocket. "Detective Jericho Karvás," he said, flashing the badge inside of it. "I heard you two are survivors of the Enfer City incident. Is this correct?"

"Yes."

"A team of other investigators and I are looking into the event, including who caused it and why they did it, and what just plain happened to begin with. We're hoping to get viewpoints on what occurred down there from any survivors we can reach." Jericho scanned his eyes over the hospital room. "If we can ask you two some questions, that would be helpful to our investigation. However, we won't push you, seeing the conditions you're currently in, and we'll be willing to wait until after your recovery and release from the hospital before we schedule a proper interview."

I nodded. "Thank you. But, there is something I can tell you now. Katherine Verdana, the mayor of Enfer City, was the one be-"

"Behind it?" Jericho inquired. "Yes, we know."

My face fell. "What? You know?"

"During the time of the attack, one of the survivors that escaped happened to be a scientist who worked with Verdana on the construction of Enfer City and, supposedly, 'other projects.' We questioned her sources, but she then offered a disk with access to the files for the Chimera Project, which, as you both probably know, was led by Verdana. The information on the disk was encrypted, though, and it took our computer teams a while to decode it all. Because of this, we have only been able to confirm Verdana's involvement behind the Enfer City incident since yesterday."

"The thing is," Drew said, "Verdana is dead."

Jericho nodded. "We know that, too. But, we still need to document everything as best as we can, to make sure we accurately know what happened and we properly inform the families of those who lost their lives down there. We also need to figure out how Verdana died, exactly."

I turned my eyes away at that. "Detective Karvás? I-"

Jericho raised a hand. "As I said, our interviews with you can wait until you're both out of the hospital and fully recovered. For now, just focus on getting better. I can't even imagine what you two must've gone through down there, so I'll give you all the space you need. With the fact that Enfer is gone and any existence of the Chimera Project has been destroyed, we're not in a rush anymore."

With that, he smiled at me, and I felt at ease.

"Thank you both for your time," he said.

He turned and made his way to the door. As he opened it, a blond-haired man stumbled through the threshold and almost smacked into him. A noble accent arose from him in the form of mumbled apologies, and Jericho only waved it off with another easy-going smile before he left, shutting the door behind him. The man who had run into him turned to us, and I grinned at his familiar azure gaze.

"Who was that?" Lionel asked, though he then shook his head. "Bah, stupid question. What I meant to say is, how are you two?"

"Could be better," I said.

Lionel walked over from the door and smiled at me. "I'm just glad that you're both okay. Enfer's explosion could be seen all the way from here in Lilycove, and I got worried as soon as I saw it." He sighed. "Is…is Verdana…?"

"Verdana's dead," I said. "And the police already seem to know that she was behind the Chimera Project and the attack."

Lionel's eyes darkened. "Well, that's one problem off our hands. I'd rather not ask about it. I'm just glad it's over. I wanted to stay with you down there to help you confront her, but I knew that you wouldn't have let me."

"No, we wouldn't have," Drew said. He flashed a smile. "You did your part by making sure Soledad got here okay."

"Where is she, anyway?" I asked Lionel. "Is she awake? Does she…" I faltered. "Does she know? About Harley?"

"Yeah," Lionel mumbled. "She knows, and her baby's fine. She's just…I don't know. She's definitely strong, but it's hitting her hard. She would be in here with me otherwise, but…she rather be alone right now."

I nodded. "I understand."

"I guess we should all get some rest," Lionel said. "It's been one hell of a trip, and it's probably going to take a while before everything can go back to being what it once was."

"Things can never be what they once were," I said to him. "But, they can certainly try."

He met my eyes and a goofy grin crossed his face. I chuckled as I leaned up in my bed and pecked him on the cheek.

"See you, mates," he said. "Let's sleep easily for once."

"Later, Lionel," Drew said.

As the door shut behind him, Drew met my eyes.

"May…" he said. "Verdana was right. Fear is a powerful weapon, and when we were down there, I was so terrified of losing you. Ten years were bad enough, but the idea of living without you..." He closed his eyes. "It scares me to death. Hell, the idea of having to deal with these memories and the future…it's frightening, and-"

I placed a finger to his lips and cut him off. Then, I cupped his face, pulling him toward me. Our lips were inches apart.

Harley's voice filled my head.

_The strongest weapon against fear is realizing that…_

"You're not alone," I whispered.

Drew's eyes brightened. I leaned in and kissed him. When I pulled away, I met his gaze.

And we _both_ smiled.

* * *

**The End**

* * *

Hehe. Well, I hoped that seemed like a good point to end it. Of course, we still have the epilogue, but, ultimately, YNA has reached its end.

But, then again, YNA is only part 1 of a trilogy, so while this story is over, the adventure has only just begun.

See you later, coordinators! :D

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear."  
- Ambrose Redmoon


	26. Red Horizons

Hey peoples!

As promised, here is the epilogue for YNA. Again, thanks to everyone who has stuck with the story this far. You guys are all awesome. :D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Epilogue: Red Horizons**

* * *

"So, I guess the house is good?"

I nodded. "Very good. I think Drew's parents live in Veilstone all the way in Sinnoh now, but we're not far from the neighborhood where they used to live. And we have a nice view of the lake and the downtown areas, which look great when they light up at night."

My mother grinned. "Oh, how romantic! One sec, hon!"

She turned her head. I couldn't see what she looked at. My view of her was limited to what the screen of the videophone gave me, which included the kitchen area of my family's house back in Petalburg. I could tell that that was it, because it was the same house Max and I grew up in, and though we moved things around a lot at times when I still lived there, the house's main videophone was never relocated far from the kitchen.

"Norman!" Mom called out, her eyes bright. She put her free hand to her mouth, while her other still held the phone's receiver against her ear. "Norman!"

"What, Caroline?" came my father's response. He sounded distant, though his voice seemed to grow louder with each time he repeated that phrase. It wasn't long before he came into view, in which he nearly ran into Mom.

"May called!" she said, pointing at me from the other side of the videophone screen. "Norman, she and Drew got the keys to their new house in La'Rousse City a few days ago! Isn't that wonderful!"

Dad looked in my direction. With the sense of grayness among his short hair and lines around his eyes, he appeared as if he wouldn't have been able to contain much energy. But, on the contrary, the large grin that stretched across his face contradicted that stereotype; it matched with the fact that he'd always been a man full of surprises.

"Great!" he said. "Wow, it only feels like yesterday when you were ten and still traveling around Hoenn for your first set of contests. Now, I look at you, and you're twenty-six, one of the most famous coordinators out there, and married and living on your own."

"I'll be twenty-seven in a few weeks…" I said.

He pouted. "Exactly! Where'd the time go?"

As he threw his hands into the air and stalked off the screen, Mom shook her head and looked back at me.

"Don't mind your father, he's just being-"

"A dad," I said for her, smiling. "I know, Mom, I know."

"We're just going to miss you, hon. The house already seems empty without you here. _All_ of Petalburg misses you. You've become such an icon for the city, and in more ways than one!"

"I'll visit," I said. "And if you and Dad need a vacation, you can come up here any time you like!"

Mom sighed. "I know, but it'll never be the same. Max is always busy at the gym, with competitors coming in left and right – not to mention his own love life. With your dad retired and all, it's really only him and me now." She chuckled. "Oh, look at me, I'm lamenting and ruining the happy mood you're supposed to be in! I just miss you guys! And…" Her eyes darkened. "I guess the whole Enfer City thing really affected us all, too."

"It's no problem, Mom."

"Anyway," she said, her eyes brightening again – a sense of youth among her aged appearance, "speaking of your brother, I should probably get him over here so he can say his own congratulations to you."

I laughed. "He'd probably just tease me for the fact that Drew and I are finally married."

"He's just looking out for his big sister."

"To whose benefit?"

Mom arched her brow at me, and I pushed the thought away with a shake of my head, an amused smile on my face.

"He's probably still busy at the gym," I said. "Just tell him to call me once he's free. I would like to talk to him without having to worry if he has to run off before I can finish a sentence."

"Will do."

"I better go help Drew move in some furniture. I'll talk to you guys later."

She waved. "Okay. Bye, sweetie!"

"Bye, Mom."

I hung up the phone and the video screen shut off. I leaned back in my chair and sighed.

Six months. It had been six months since the Enfer City incident. In those six months, a lot of changes had been made. After my release from the hospital, Drew and I tried our best to move on, and we started with the engagement we had made back in Enfer. After being wed in my hometown of Petalburg, Drew and I took a trip to the Orange Islands for our honeymoon, and then searched for a place where we could live and settle down. La'Rousse had been a prime option. After all, it was in Hoenn, which allowed me to stay close to my parents, but remain far away enough to where I still had personal space. With Drew's familiarity of the city, due to it being the place where he grew up, it only added to the appeal.

I got up from my chair, left the fairly empty office room, and made my way downstairs. The scent of a new house seemed to linger in the air; it radiated off the fresh, white walls and clean carpets. This house had been a recent addition to a long line of older buildings, and I was glad that, despite La'Rousse's technological achievements, the city's design for regular housing maintained that sense of security that came with a nice, warm place to come home to.

Six months. Those two words crossed my mind again. Enfer City was still gone, and so were the fusions, Kruismara, and any signs of the Chimera Project and Virus. Though their had been a large amount of pokemon and human casualties because of the incident, the number of survivors managed to outweigh it, and that relieved us all. Investigations were still drawing deeper into the matter, and all types of law- and medical-based authorities suggested that any survivors of the Enfer City incident seek out therapeutic help, so that we could better deal with what we saw down there. Drew and I did as we were suggested, but even after our sessions were over, we both agreed that nothing could get rid of the memories.

All we could do was to try and live with them.

And we did. We all did. Lionel had returned to his hometown of Celadon shortly after the wedding between Drew and I. We still remained in contact and still maintained the friendship we had formed through the Enfer City incident. Meanwhile, Soledad had kept to herself all these six months. Though she had also attended the wedding, memories of Harley had clearly haunted her. Her pregnancy had been more evident the last time we saw her, too. Though she insisted that she remain in the home she shared with Harley back in Slateport – in which she decided to stay there to raise her child in an environment where it would be able to easily be told and remember how it once had a father – Drew kept in close contact with her, guarding her like the foster son he had always been toward her, as if making up for the ten years where he hadn't.

I stopped when I came across a small shelf, where I had already put up pictures encased in smooth, wooden frames. I traced my finger along the outline of a photo that showed Drew and I when we were still teenagers. A younger Harley and Soledad were right behind us, along with the rest of the coordinators that had competed in the Goldenrod City Grand Festival back then. Despite our rivalry, there were smiles on our faces, our arms around one another in a disorganized, but affectionate, fashion.

We truly had been a family during those days – a team of four that stuck together, no matter what.

I frowned as my finger touched Harley's face. His goofy grin made my heart ache with nostalgia. He was still clad in that cacturne-based outfit of his, and his hair was still long.

_A family that stuck together, no matter what._

I bit my lip and turned away – before my eyes grew wet.

I emerged into the living room seconds later. The front door lay wide open. Blaziken emitted her name as her form rose within the bright afternoon glare from outside, where she grew closer until she stepped through the threshold. Her back faced me. I arched a brow when I realized that she was hoisting one end of a long couch through the doorway. When the center of the couch slid across the wall, it stopped in place, and Blaziken growled as she pulled to get it through, but to no avail.

Drew's head poked up from the couch's other side.

"Try turning it to an angle," he said.

Blaziken nodded and moved her claws to turn the couch. However, it didn't budge.

"Damn," came Drew's voice.

"Blaze…" Blaziken pulled at the couch again. Still, it didn't move.

Drew poked his head up. "If we try to force it now, it's just going to damage the wall. Let's push it back out and try something else."

Blaziken grumbled and rolled her eyes.

"I heard that," Drew said from the other side.

I had to chuckle at that, though I managed to hide it behind my palm as Blaziken reluctantly did what Drew had ordered. Minutes later, they had finally managed to get the couch through the doorway, and Blaziken collapsed onto it once they moved it into place toward the center of the living room's carpeted floor.

"I think we can take a break now," Drew said as he shut the front door.

Blaziken smiled. She stretched out across the couch, put her arms behind her head, and closed her eyes.

Drew walked up to me. His eyes examined my face – and the small smile that lingered on it.

"Nice to see you're finding this all amusing," he muttered.

"Kind of hard not to."

He arched a brow. "Glad I'm entertaining, then."

I chuckled again and wrapped my arms around his neck. "You wouldn't be as attractive to me if you weren't."

"Oh, butter me up, eh? Don't think that's going to help get you out of your 'furniture-organizing' duty, since your blaziken's too wimpy to do it."

Blaziken said nothing, nor did she open her eyes. Instead, she only raised her claw and lowered her two outer fingers, until her still upright middle one resembled an infamous human expression.

"Okay." Drew narrowed his eyes at her. "Now your blaziken's just gonna be dead."

I grabbed Drew by the shoulders before he could move toward her, and distracted him with a kiss. I made a gesture toward Blaziken. She quickly got off the couch and slipped into the hallway to find a safer place to nap.

Drew and I broke apart seconds later. He glared at me.

"I thought you were on my side!"

I shrugged at him. "I owe Blaziken a lot."

Drew snorted. I smiled at him, and it didn't take much before he cracked and shook his head, letting out a light laugh. I glanced at the clock that hung off the nearby wall. A frown crossed my face.

"What?" Drew asked when I met his eyes again.

"Remember that detective guy we met at the hospital after we escaped Enfer? Detective…um…Jericho Karvás?"

"Yeah."

"Well, with our wedding and honeymoon and moving and stuff, I had to keep on rescheduling the interviews we were supposed to have with him on what happened down in Enfer." I sighed. "I told him after he called me a few days ago that I would do my part of the interview with him today at three, and we would schedule yours for later."

Drew hummed thoughtfully. "He's sure been patient. Where are you meeting him?"

"At some interrogation-based office downtown. I guess it fits, with the fact that he wants to make sure we have privacy and silence."

Drew frowned. "You don't seem so enthusiastic about going, though. Something wrong?"

"Nah, it's fine." I put a hand to my head. "I want to help any way I can with his investigation. I just have a headache right now, that's all."

"Oh…" Drew met my eyes.

And he grinned.

"What?" I asked.

"Do you know what they say is a good cure for a headache?"

"Uh…" I paused. "Pain killers and an ice pack?"

Drew's grin didn't move. "_Orgasm_."

I blinked. Then, I rolled my eyes. "Of course _you _would know that-"

My words were cut off when Drew wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. He buried his face into the crook of my neck. I shivered as I felt his hot breath brush across my skin.

"I did the research just for you," he whispered into my ear.

I smiled and traced my fingers down his shirt, fumbling with all the buttons I met along the way. My fingers intertwined with his. Our wedding bands seemed to glisten when they made contact.

"Well," I whispered into his ear, my tone just as seductive, "then you have…" I shot another glance at the clock. "…about an hour and a half to get rid of this headache."

"That's all the time I need."

With that, Drew hoisted me up into his arms and carried me, bridal-style, up the staircase and to our bedroom.

* * *

I let out a content sigh and brushed my fingers through Drew's hair. He slept peacefully beside me, on his front, still tangled in bed sheets - though the comforter ultimately covered everything up to his abdomen. His bare back was still exposed, and that was more than enough to keep my mouth watering. I brushed my fingers down his skin and chuckled at how he shivered in response.

I wanted more – oh, Arceus, how I wanted more. However, I had to leave. I didn't want to, but I had to. With how much I had been postponing my interview with Jericho, I owed it to him to give him the answers he needed to put other families to rest. The 'session' between Drew and I had lasted an hour, so I only had thirty minutes to get to the downtown area of La'Rousse.

Silently, I began to slide my way out of bed, freeing myself from the bed sheets.

Before I could get up to retrieve my clothes, though, fingers wrapped around my ankle and pulled me back. I let out a squeak and found myself back in Drew's hold. He wasn't as 'asleep' as I thought. He grinned at me, reading my surprise, and he nuzzled my neck affectionately.

"Drew…" I said. I tried to escape his arms, despite how much I didn't want to. "Drew, I gotta go. I'm going to be late."

I could feel Drew pout against my skin. "What if I don't want you to go?"

"Then you're going to have to explain this to Detective Karvás."

Drew grunted in defeat and let me go.

I slid to the bed's edge and sat up. I looked at Drew. His dragon-like eyes followed the grooves of my back. I chuckled.

"Like what you see?" I asked.

"Always have."

I smiled at him before I stood. I gathered my clothes off the floor and made my way to the closet to get dressed. When I came back out, Drew was still in bed. I walked over and leaned down to kiss him.

He slowly exhaled as we pulled apart. His hand cupped my cheek, and I gently took it in my own hold, pressing each of his fingers to my mouth and kissing them separately. My lips lingered on the finger where his wedding band was, and I brushed my own band against it, admiring the shine they gave off as they touched.

"Be back soon," he whispered.

"I will."

"You promise?"

I smiled again.

"I promise."

* * *

It took me twenty minutes to find the office where Jericho wanted to interview me. The trip to the downtown area hadn't been the long part, either; the office was small and hard to see amongst the large amount of other businesses and structures that now consisted La'Rousse's skeleton. The city had changed a lot since the very first time I had visited it sixteen years ago.

At least my headache was gone.

I walked into the front door of the nameless building, which I had only been able to identify through the address. The main room was empty, though the assortment of plain chairs, a reception desk, and hallways leading into back rooms definitely matched with the vibes I would expect from an office building made solely for interrogations. The fact that the logo for the Police Department of La'Rousse City was stamped on the wall behind the aforementioned reception desk also helped.

"There you are, May!"

I met Jericho's eyes as he emerged from one of the hallways. The six months between us hadn't seemed to affect him. He looked just as he did when he first met me at Lilycove's hospital – youthful, dark blue eyes; coal-colored fauxhawk-styled hair; and an overall tall and thin appearance, save the broadness around his shoulders and midsection. He even wore that same brown trench coat from before.

"Detective Karvás," I said, nodding.

"Sorry to have had to call you in like this."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry for having to make you wait for six months – and then drive all the way out here."

He laughed. "Point taken." He turned. "Come on. There's an interrogation room we can use in the back."

I shrugged and followed him. He led me down the hall and to a room at the very end. He unlocked the door with a key from his pocket and turned on the single overhead light, which revealed the usual one-way mirror and plain table and chairs that sat on the center of the floor. I raised my brows at the fact that a TV hung in one of the room's upper corners, though.

"Take a seat," Jericho said.

I made my way forward and sat down on one of the plain chairs.

"So," he began, reaching for a different seat, "May Maple, you-"

"Trandafir."

He blinked. "Pardon?"

"It's May Trandafir now," I said, showing my wedding band.

"Oh…" His eyes flashed with recognition. "Oh! Um, congratulations!"

I smiled. "Thank you."

"Anyway, May…" Jericho trailed off as he looked down and around. He frowned. "Crap, I forgot my files. Do you mind waiting? It might take me while to dig them out of my car."

"It's no problem."

"Great," he said. He looked around again. He hummed thoughtfully and walked toward the TV. "We might as well make use of this, then."

He turned it on, in which it flipped to a news channel, and he shrugged sheepishly at me before he made his way out the door with a simple "I'll be back." I sat in silence and kept my eyes on the TV. The anchorwoman didn't talk about anything interesting – just the usual good deeds of pokemon, the appearances of famous pokemon trainers, and reminders of any current updates on the 'Enfer City incident' case that they'd been allowed to release to the public.

I frowned. Even after six months, the Enfer issue was still talked about like the weather. Hopefully, my part in the investigation would put most of the matters to rest.

Minutes later, Jericho walked in through the door, papers in his arms. He dropped them onto the table, took a seat, and sorted through them. I glanced at the TV and opened my mouth to say something, but I closed it when he didn't seem to care that it was still on. The volume wasn't loud anyway, so I supposed it didn't matter.

"Alright," he said, getting up again and walking up to my side. He carried a paper in his hand. His eyes never left it. "Let's start with Katherine Verdana. How did you find out that she was behind the Chimera Project? Did you find out while you were down there?"

"Yes," I said. "My friends and I confronted her during the attack. At first, it was to help her battle the monster that attacked the city, since we all thought at the time that she was just as much a victim in all of it as we were. But, we wound up finding out about the Chimera Project during the meeting, and she confirmed that she was the one behind everything. She then ran."

"Did you meet up with her again?"

"Yes. After we made it to the south district, Drew Trandafir and I moved to confront Verdana since we knew where she was around then."

"Go on."

"Well, we confronted her, and…" I didn't know if I should weigh him down with details, so I kept it straight to the point. "She tried to kill us, so we had no choice but to fight back in the name of self-defense."

"Okay…"

"In the middle of that…" I swallowed. "She was killed."

Silence lingered after that. I looked back at Jericho. He raised his head. His eyes darkened. He met my gaze.

"Did you kill her?" he asked.

I bit my lip. "I…"

"It's okay, May."

I blinked. "What?"

"I have to admit," Jericho said, his eyes brightening slightly, "but I'm kind of glad I found the person responsible for Verdana's death."

I shifted at that. I didn't know if I could justify agreeing with him or not. I had justified Verdana's murder to myself, but would others accept it? I didn't know much about how law worked, but Jericho's confident gaze relieved my worries a little.

Before either of us could say anything, the TV flashed with a 'Breaking News' sign. We both turned our eyes to it. The anchorwoman from before appeared on the screen.

"Breaking news!" she said. "Something has risen on the shores of Lilycove City, Hoenn. Joseph Rhine is there on site. Joseph, are you there?"

The screen flashed. Then, it showed what looked like a street of Lilycove City. People and pokemon ran in the direction of the camera, the air filled with cries and screams. The cameraman stumbled as he tried to follow what I assumed to be Joseph – the man that clutched the microphone in his hands so tightly his knuckles were white.

"Carla, you won't believe this!" he yelled over the retreating crowd. His eyes were bright – with fear. "But, something huge just came out of the water only minutes ago, and began to attack Lilycove!" He stopped in place. His eyes widened as he gazed down the street. "Oh, Arceus! Fred, are you getting this!"

The cameraman – Fred – directed the camera where Joseph pointed.

Among the wave of fleeing people and pokemon, a bluish-colored form rose, its claws digging into the tops of the very buildings its size easily rivaled. The camera shook, as if Fred wanted nothing but to drop it and run, but he kept his ground. The form, nidoking-like, had pitch-black eyes that were illuminated by the overhead sun. A white mane stretched down its spiny back, and its multiple tails flailed as they slammed into other nearby buildings. The form threw its head upward and let out a roar that shook the ground.

I couldn't move. My heart hammered against my chest. Slowly, I stood up from my seat.

"No…" I whispered, shaking my head.

"Oh Arceus!" Joseph screamed. "What the hell is that thing! Wait…oh, Arceus! What the hell is coming down its arm!"

The camera zoomed in on the form's arm, where smaller figures crawled down its scales. When they touched the ground, they chased after the people and pokemon that retreated from the bigger figure. It wasn't long before one made its way after Fred and Joseph. I couldn't see what happened to Joseph, but Fred tried his best to outrun the figure. However, he soon fell, and he managed to point the camera directly at the form right as it lunged for him.

Humanoid. Oversized fangs. Large in size.

And full red eyes.

The camera slid across the asphalt. All it showed was a side angle of the street, with Fred's legs in view, kicking uncontrollably as he tried to fight off the monster that pinned him to the ground, attacking him. He screamed in terror, but nothing seemed to work.

Then, the screen cut out, and everything returned to the newsroom with Carla.

"Joseph?" she called out. She swallowed hard, her voice cracking. "Joseph? Joseph, are you there?"

But there was no response.

"No!" I screamed.

It couldn't be…

It couldn't be!

_It couldn't be!_

"Kruismara's alive!" I looked at Jericho, my voice a mixture of horror and disbelief. "The fusions are alive! _The whole damn thing survived!_"

Jericho only met my eyes.

I gasped.

His irises weren't dark blue anymore.

They were red.

"Exactly," he hissed.

With that, he pulled out a gun from his coat and pointed it at me.

He fired.

I stumbled into my chair and fell back. Coldness shot through my body. I looked down. Blood stained my shirt from the bullet hole in my side, spreading like a disease. I gazed up at Jericho as he stepped toward me, my mouth open in a silent scream.

His red eyes never blinked. He pointed the gun at my chest.

"And _you_ are not going to get in the way this time."

He fired again.

Weakness flooded me. More blood. My vision clouded. I saw Jericho slip a phone out of his pocket. He opened it and hit a number.

"May Maple…" he said into it.

Darkness consumed me – and right as Jericho's last words reached my ears:

"…_is dead_."

* * *

**To Be Continued?**

* * *

The next book in the "Cadence Of Their Fear" trilogy - "Voices" - should be out within the year, depending on how long it takes me to finish my other stuff.

Until then, I'll let you imagine what can happen from here. ;)


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